There’s nothing as tasty as home-grown produce, right? Many of us have vegetable gardens or fruit trees in our yards. Were able to grow varieties not available in stores, control what is put into the soil and on the plants, and harvest at the peak of ripeness.

Food Orange County wants to help provide that experience to others throughout Orange County. By using the land at schools, churches, parks, and businesses to grow edible gardens, we can help feed the hungry, teach others about growing and cooking from the garden, reduce our dependence on food brought in from outside Orange County, and build community.

SFOC already has completed several projects, the most recent of which are:

• installing a drip irrigation system at Fairview Community Church
• providing a micro-grant, Ark of Taste seeds, and a hands-on cooking demonstration for students at Tustin Memorial Academy
• providing a grant and weekend volunteer workers to the Irvine Outdoor Education Center, where many Orange County students attend science camp and learn about growing food, soil and water management, and pollination
• working with The Ecology Center’s Grow Your Own program to support the teachers responsible for school garden programs.

If you live in Orange County, definitely look into participating in the  National School Garden Program, which is being expanded thanks to a grant by Chipotle Mexican Grill. The goals are to teach children how to grow and cook food, the importance of healthful eating, and the importance and variety of food from different cultures. You can read more about the program here. The National School Garden Program and the Chipotle grant gives the opportunity to continue and expand support of school garden programs through a more formal program and through collaborations with other organizations such as The Ecology Center.