Written by Jay Rosenberg | 25 February 2011

Our classes and courses are some of the most accessible and least expensive available. We do this by keeping our expenses very low. There is no lodging or on-site camping facilities, meals are pot-luck style and nearby coffeeshops welcome our volunteers and students during breaks.

Choose between half-tuition and full-tuition work trade exchanges. All work trade is at a 1:1 rate, hours in classroom to hours of work trade. For example, full-tuition for a three hour class is three hours of work trade.

SIGN UP FOR A CLASS

"No one will be turned away for lack of funds, only lack of passion."

We accept payment plan arrangements to accomodate your financial situation and we offer exchanges for tuition through a variety of work trade tasks, including those listed below. Many of these directly benefit the communities of San Francisco, we feel this is a good example of the Fair Share permaculture ethic.

We kindly ask that work trade hours are completed before completion of any class or course.

Read more...

Written by Kacie Loparto | 24 February 2011

Urban Foraging in San Francisco – a modern take on an old classic.

I love the stories you’ll hear of ol’ granny hoisting up her apron to head out into the backyard to harvest her daily helping of dandelion greens. Little did she know, a hundred years later, we would call those same greens gourmet!

Last weekend I attended a wild foods walk taught by Fred Bové in conjunction with Hayes Valley Farm. As much as I support locally grown I am also a huge enthusiast for what you can find out your back door without even sowing a seed. Together a small group of us identified nearly fifteen edible species and a few non edible plants to watch out for.

Fred’s teaching style is a great mix of scientific, historical and culinary field notes and anecdotes. What I’ve learned after attending a variety of plant walks on the east and west coast is that I learn something new each time and I always make assumptions that only experts can remedy out in the field. How was I to know that New Zealand spinach, a plant that looks almost identical to one of my favorite wild edibles, lambsquarters or goosefoot, is not even related?

Sign up for the Forage Walk with Fred Bové, Friday, March 4th.

Read more...

Written by Matt Baume | 23 February 2011

Bay View Greenwaste provides fertile ground for San Francisco’s urban agriculture revolution

Just a few years ago, they were abandoned freeways, dilapidated back yards, and institutional dumping grounds. But today, thanks to San Francisco's urban agriculture renaissance, many of these pockets of underutilized land are being transformed. And one local company -- Bay View Greenwaste -- is playing a key role, by transforming waste into mulch, and giving it away.

The city's largest agricultural experiment to date may be the Hayes Valley Farm, which is growing on the former site of a freeway ramp. The ramp was demolished, but the lot sat empty for years as development funding wilted in the recession. Then, in January of 2010, a dedicated group of farmers and permaculturalists began to convert the property into usable farmland.

With a border of mature trees and areas of direct sun, the location was well-suited for gardening. But the soil needed work. It was polluted, choked with weeds, and lacking in nutrients.

Read the rest of Matt's article at Grist Magazine

Photo by Matt Baume
Originally published on February 22, 2011 at grist.org

Written by Beth Ferguson | 17 February 2011

The SolarPump Charging Station is a self-contained island of free solar power available for the public to charge any electronic device (electric bicycles to cellphones and laptops, etc.) using a standard 110v AC plug. The bus stop-sized station inspires conversation about energy consumption, solar power and growing adoption of electric mobility.

Recharge at the SolarPump when you visit Hayes Valley Farm

Read more...

Written by Jay Rosenberg | 14 February 2011

During Friday's class on Permaculture Strategies at Hayes Valley Farm, we were lucky to be joined by farm volunteer Andrea Cohan and her friends, who were about to launch a new free farm stand in the Bay View.

We embarked on a harvest walk that was equal parts site tour and workshop. As we discussed the history of the site, we also covered some techniques for proper harvesting and pruning.

Permaculture Strategies - Join us on Fridays at 1pm.

Read more...