Over the past 20 years many individuals and groups have dreamed about a site where they could share and deepen the public's awareness of and appreciation for our natural and agricultural landscapes that produce the food we consume. The future health of our environment, our communities, and our bodies will depend on a healthy ecosystem with healthy farms that produce environmentally and economially sustainable products for Marin and the Bay Area.
MAEA has received a grant from the Marin County Supervisors, The Marin Community Foundation and The Buck Fund, to conduct a feasibility study to determine what is needed to develop a viable educational farm and garden facility in Marin County. Patti Vance is the project manager and can be reached at PV3@comcast.net. Sandy Neumann is looking into educational programs and can be reached at skneumann@sbcglobal.net . Lisa Bush is in charge of locating suitable properties and can be reached at lisab@sonic.net. Avis Licht will be coordinating communications through this web site and also looking at coordinating the actual site with feasible programs. She can be reached at avislicht@comcast.net. All of us look forward to hearing from you with questions and suggestions.
THE PROJECT GOAL: The purpose of the study is to give interested community members and decision makers relevant information about programs and sites for an education farm and garden facility. The study report will provide two/three possible education program designs, a prioritized list of two/three possible facility sites; outline two/three administrative and operational models based on survey of related organizations, provide possible income and fee structures, and include recommendations for implementation.
Some of the proposed goals for the Farm and Garden Project include:
- Promote middle and high school environmental education, healthy and sustainable living
Curriculum aligned with California content standards - Integrate organically grown food into Marin school lunch programs
Further the awareness of healthy eating that addresses obesity
epidemic - Maintain a diverse collection of plants that support teaching, research and conservation
County botanic garden with seasonal programs for students and
residents - Develp a greater awareness of food sources in the county
Build an agriculturally literate population - Serve as a summer institute for teacher training that focuses on project-based learning
Partnership with Dominican University, College of Marin - Promote knowledge of renewable energy sources and 'green' building materials
On-site examples that educate students and adults - Create a student-run kitchen/cafe enterprise
On-site culinary academy throughout the year - Develop meaningful internships for high school and college students
Promote skills that lead to vocational pathways