What an amazing first year of our Home Garden Support program! We have done a great deal of growing and learning in community this season and we loved working with home gardeners who each had unique visions, circumstances, and levels of experience. Some gardeners grew a lot! Some gardeners grew just a little. Some focused on getting their spaces set up and learning as much as they could this season before putting seeds in the ground next spring. We worked with community members in vastly different circumstances – some who wanted to have an outdoor activity to share with their young children, young adults who wanted to have more power over their food choices, parents who found the garden a space to find peace and quite (with or without the rest of the family!), and retirees who were excited to lean back into a familiar hobby. Likely a conservative estimate based on the updates we received, the home gardeners we worked with grew over 1,000 lbs of produce in their yards this growing season, and some still have greens, root veggies, and lettuce on the way.

Our final class of the year took place in early October and focused on season extension. Home gardeners took home frost cloth to cover their raised beds when temperatures drop and we looked ahead in the conversation on seed starting for early next year. While this time of year brings a certain sadness as we say goodbye to the summer bounty (so long for now, tomatoes!), we’re also feeling a sense of excitement as we start preparing for the next growing season. The gardeners we worked with this year are eager for another opportunity to implement what they learned in their gardens and in the support classes throughout this season. We’re eager too, to apply what we learned this year towards another, even more successful year of the program.

We had a lot of successes across all of our interconnected programs. This year, FLP employed 27 young people through the Youth Community Agriculture Program, several of whom started their own home gardens this year. In addition to their meaningful work developing leadership skills, supporting the implementation of programs, and learning about food systems and food justice, these young people have grown and distributed over 2,300 lbs and 31 varieties of fresh produce to neighbors. In September, we surpassed the total amount of produce distributed in 2023, and there is more bounty on the way! This month we’ve been focusing on harvesting greens and sweet potatoes, and on building community. The crew recently led the planning of the second annual “Healing Week”, a multi-day event open for community members to gather and explore self- and community-care strategies and embrace joy, creativity, nature, and delicious fresh food. The event took place on the farm October 1st, 2nd and 3rd and was a huge success with dozens of neighbors visiting the farm each day to engage in activities with unique themes including “Healing Your Inner Child”, “Art Therapy”, and “Field-to-Fork”. It was a celebratory, youth-led community gathering with a clear emphasis on holistic wellness.

In addition to the 27 youth employed through YCAP, and the 19 home and community gardeners that we supported this season, more than 220 youth and family members have participated in Field-to-Fork experiences, closing the gap between where food comes from and when it ends up on your plate. Field-to-Fork participants explore cooking, gardening and healthful living practices each week, while getting their hands dirty planting in their school gardens, making pizza dough, and intentionally dedicating time to developing self-care strategies, including how to make healthful foods taste delicious! Additionally, hundreds of community members have received 2,300+ portions of youth-grown produce, 1,130+ seed packets and vegetable seedlings, and 700+ printed resources to support home cooking and gardening. As we near the end of our growing and (our busiest) program season, we have a lot to be proud of, and a lot to look forward to.