Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden
At the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden, students, apprentices, staff, professors, and townsfolk have learned to give more than they take from the soil. They are stewards of our most basic resource.
–Louise Cain, Founding Member
Join the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden
By joining the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, you too can become a steward of the soil.
Through community education, the Friends of the Farm & Garden help spread the word about the need for gardening and farming systems that are both environmentally and socially sound. The Friends also sponsor community-oriented events and celebrations to welcome in the changing seasons, and to raise funds for the Center for Agroecology. The Friends support and promote the center’s mission to advance agroecology and equitable food systems through experiential education, participatory research, agricultural extension, and public service.
Your membership makes a difference
Financial support and volunteer energy from Friends’ members help make possible —
- A year-round slate of workshops, speakers and celebrations
- Outreach efforts, including volunteer opportunities
- Farm & Garden improvements, including new structures and equipment
As a Friend, you can help plan events and classes, take part in fundraising projects, or volunteer for workdays and other events. In return for their membership, Friends receive –
- Discounted registration for Friends workshops and events
- Early entrance and 10% discount at the Spring Plant Sale
- 10% discount on purchases from San Lorenzo Garden Center, the Garden Company (plants only), and Sierra Azul Nursery & Gardens in Watsonville
You’ll also have access to a wealth of local gardening information, and you’ll meet other people interested in improving the ways we grow food and ornamentals while taking care of the land.
If you have questions about joining the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, or want to check on the status of your membership, email farmandg@ucsc.edu. You can also purchase a gift membership for someone else or make a donation to the Friends of the Farm & Garden.
Contribution categories
- $20 Student / Limited Income (standard benefits)
- $30 Individual (standard benefits)
- $50 Family (standard benefits)
- $100 Seed Starter (above plus notecards)
- $350 Cover Cropper (above plus garden tool)
- $1,000 Lifetime Membership (above plus free workshops and guided tour for up to 10 people)
Your contribution may be tax deductible. Consult your tax professional.
Memberships are annual, based on the date of renewal. You’ll receive a member card in the mail.
About the Friends
The Center for Agroecology and the associated research, education, and outreach work taking place at the UCSC Farm and Alan Chadwick Garden play key roles in advancing agricultural systems that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially responsible. Through financial support and volunteer energy, the Friends uplift the important work being done at Center of Agroecology.
Mission
The mission of the Friends of the Farm & Garden is to provide financial support, public outreach, and advocacy for the Apprenticeship Program, the associated undergraduate research and education in agroecology, and the UCSC Farm and Alan Chadwick Garden sites, which serve as unique community resources for year-round organic gardening education programs and projects.
Vision
The Friends of the Farm & Garden envision healthy, sustainable local and global communities for future generations through the advancement of the UCSC Farm & Garden, the Apprenticeship Program, and the research and education work of the Center for Agroecology.
History
In 1967, English gardening expert Alan Chadwick began to transform four acres of a brush-covered hillside on the UCSC campus into a student garden. There, he introduced the concept of French biointensive gardening. Chadwick taught that we should “garden with nature,” using raised bed cultivation and organic inputs such as compost to create rich growing conditions without synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Inspired by Chadwick’s work and his philosophy of caring for the land, individuals from the town and campus communities founded the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden to provide financial support and a public forum for the work and ideas generated at the UCSC Farm and Garden. The current popularity of organic gardening and farming can be traced in part to techniques that Chadwick introduced at UC Santa Cruz.