Family Harvest Farm to Receive the Community Nourishment Award at the 12th Annual East Bay Philanthropy Awards

Family Harvest Farm

Located in Pittsburg, California, Family Harvest Farm is a new program of John Muir Land Trust that employs transition age youth with experience in the foster care system as apprentices and leaders in the community.

Once a vacant lot in a densely populated neighborhood, the 3.5-acre parcel in Pittsburg has been repurposed into a thriving organic farm. Its mission is to empower youth and adults to discover and participate in a local food system that encourages healthy living, nurtures the environment, and feeds the community. Through on-the-job training in organic farming, Family Harvest Farm provides a healthy, nurturing environment for program participants and affordable, high-quality food for the community. In addition to growing organic produce, the farm hosts environmental education workshops and lessons in regenerative farming for the greater community.

Growing healthy food contributes to the well-being of local neighborhoods, and plays a large part in the growth and healing of program participants. Recent crops include watermelon, squash, zinnias, peppers, okra, tomatoes, sunflowers, basil, carrots, corn, and potatoes. Apprentices, staff, and volunteers cook and eat together. Produce is donated to community kitchens and offered at the Family Harvest Farm farm stand, a staple in the neighborhood.

Transition age foster youth (ages 18-24) need work experience that provides access to full-time employment, continuing education, life skills development, and community connections that support their lives beyond foster care. Without safety nets and support, emancipated youth are vulnerable to homelessness, unemployment, undereducation, health problems, and poverty. Family Harvest Farm is an innovative solution to their unique circumstances. Family Harvest Farm apprentices learn general employment standards, hone skills in communication and leadership, build strong relationships with staff and each other, attend life and socio-emotional skills workshops, access fresh healthy food, and engage in program outreach. With core collaborators, Family Harvest Farm helps apprentices map a confident path forward.

We are so excited to honor Family Harvest Farm with the Community Nourishment Award at the 2022 Philanthropy Awards on November 17. If you are interested in attending please register here.

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