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19 January 2011
We opened our gates in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 17, 2011 to welcome families and neighbors to spend day connecting to each other and sharing in the spirit of service. We were fortunate to connect with Richard Johnson, Co-Founder of Community Partners United, and London Breed, Executive Director of the African American Art & Culture Complex, who hosted a rally and a one-day volunteer initiative throughout San Francisco.
The AAACC had about 150 volunteers show up to their location down the street from the farm on Fulton and Webster. They got to meet Edwin Lee, the new Mayor of San Francisco, who spoke and then sent them off to their respective volunteering sites. About 20 volunteers came to Hayes Valley Farm, some who live in the city and had been here before, and others who had traveled from as far as Modesto to participate.
I arrived at the farm a little after 9:00 am to witness a tour already in motion making it’s way up the former on-ramp toward the Freeway Food Forest. All faces were smiling at the sun, gazing about at the vibrant, evolving landscape of the farm.
I set up the tools and wheelbarrows and was mulling over the farm chores that needed to be done keeping in mind the small children and elderly folks in the bunch. On the days list: moving a huge pile of sand to the area near the cob oven attempting to remedy puddling water that collect from the rain, adding manure and mulch to newly formed berms along Fell St, and making a soil mix for seed blocks, which are for planting and raising seedlings in our nursery.
As I was setting up, and preparing to address the group, the “I have a dream” speech was echoing in my head. I was thinking about the power of a dream, when coupled with hard work, perseverance, clear communication and non-violence, the outcome can echo on far into the future and touch generations. The families that came to spend this day of service were sharing this dream, sharing this special day to honor the wisdom and spirit set forth by this man. I realized that so much of what we are creating in our community shares the same ideals of non-violence and strives for impeccable communication and sharing a vision of a sustainable future with healthy community.
Celebrating this day with all of the families and individuals, it was clear that this day truly embodied spirit.
We were also visited by a group who came to the farm to share “organic data.” It was inspiring to witness technology professionals come together on a beautiful day to discuss ways to share information in hopes for a more proactive integrated city/country/world. Here is a photo slideshow and blog post by Chacha Sikes, organizer of the Organic Data Meetup.
We will host another FAMILY FARM DAY the next time children are off of school...
President's Day - A Family Farm Day
February 21, 2011
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Bring your lunch come to work, learn, get a little dirty and enjoy the day with us!
Questions, contact us via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Photos by Janelle Fitzpatrick, Chacha Sikes, January 17, 2011
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Over a thousand volunteers, neighbors, and community members have helped coordinate the farm efforts.