October 1, 2015 - Crackin' a TON and other happenings...

In October, we cracked a TON... 

...YES! in 10 months, we provided  2,000 LBS OF PRODUCE to the SHELTER'S KITCHEN!

September was also noteworthy because of the record amount of volunteer hours!  Bell Shelter and Wellness Program residents contributed 89 hours of hard and hot work in September. We were also incredibly fortunate to have been on the receiving end of two wonderful volunteer organizations: LA Works and The Community HealthCorps team from the Community Clinic Association of LA County.  

In addition to keeping the chickens happy, the worms wiggling, the plants and trees watered, the shade cloth up or down, the bugs and critters (mostly) at bay, the compost turned, the produce picked, together, we accomplished the following: 

1. We seeded an assortment of more than 3100 vegetable varieties including beets, turnips, carrots, onions, spinach, kale, chard, to name a few…
2. We transplanted just over 1600 seedlings.  We also put in a Nopales patch and planted comfrey - an amazing plant for healing degraded soils - in the orchard.
3. U.S. Veteran, Shelter resident, and carpenter, Juan Valdez, built us a chicken playpen.  Now we can move ‘the girls’ around the farm, providing them with varied goodies like plant matter, yummy bugs, and caterpillars. This way they can enjoy themselves clearing, fertilizing, and aerating the soil for the next round of plants. 
4. The Topanga Women’s Circle generously donated two wheelchair accessible wooden planter boxes and a much needed wagon. They are wonderful!
5. Help the Children provided a pallet of concrete pavers, which will soon be the floor of our new post-harvest area.
6. The Food For Life Workshop Class 2 ended on September 10.  GrowGood and The Salvation Army awarded certificates of completion to two amazing participants who we continue to see out at the farm. Class 3 is underway…
7. Julia Kleemann, volunteer intern extraordinaire from Cal Poly is back! Julia interned with GrowGoow last spring and has returned to us after several months abroad. 

September 11, 2015 - CHC Day of Service

A HUGE thank you to Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County's Community HealthCorps team for their volunteer work at the farm. The event was organized as part of a 9/11 National Day of Service. Volunteers did a number of important tasks at the farm such as mulching and weeding. A special thank you to Malory Katz for spearheading the event. See great photos taken by Erin (http://www.capturedgracebyerin.com). 

September 13, 2015 - LA Works + Northrop Grumman Volunteer Day

A HUGE thank you to LA Works (http://www.laworks.com) for organizing an amazing volunteer day at the Bell Shelter with Northrop Grumman employee volunteers.  These Northrop Grumman volunteers were some of the hardest working volunteers we have ever had - we got so much done! The volunteers were broken up into two groups. One group was tasked with painting an agricultural themed mural inside the Shelter's mess hall. The other group went out to the farm performing a number of important tasks, such as: weeding, mulching, amending garden beds, as well as fixing a section of our irrigation system. Overall, it was a great day!  See the photos below :)

“Santiago: Do any of you volunteers want to help fix our irrigation system?
Volunteer: I will - I’m an engineer.
Santiago: Oh cool. What kind of engineer are you?
Volunteer: Well, I build F-35 Fighter Jets.
Santiago: Ok, I think you are qualified. ”

Pretty cool right?! Shows what you can do in a few hours with some great volunteers. 

September 9, 2015 - Update from Corinne from the Farm

Transitioning from summer to fall plantings is never easy in Southern California, let alone in a historic drought.  This week's heatwave is another example of the high temperatures that come after Labor Day.  At the farm, we are currently seeding a diverse selection of fall crops to ensure that we beat the heat, conserve resources like water and labor, and keep harvesting produce into the new year! Some varieties we are especially excited about include:

• Hon Tsai Tai Broccoli-- A delicious sprouting (& leaf) broccoli that produces in warmer temperatures.  Heavy producing and delicious with a light mustard flavor.  Nutritious with vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin  E, calcium, iron, manganese, protein, and dietary fiber. A great transitional crop! 
• Golden Globe Turnip-- These turnips have a texture similar to carrots in their thin, delicate skin, and are easy to germinate in warmer temperatures.  They are also harvested young, with greens and all, to be eaten before the late heat can make them tough or unappetizing.  No fall crops thrive in the high 90's, but these turnips are sticking it out.  The greens are like mustard, with calcium, iron, folate, and the roots are rich in vitamin C.  
• Dwarf Grey Sugar Snap Pea-- Starting peas is risky in the heat, but with some shade cloth they are doing great.  This heirloom variety is loved for its peas as well as pea shoots-- a delicious addition to our salad mix.  Increasing functionality and yield by harvesting the shoots and pods is a great way to make the most of limited resources.  Peas are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins A and E, iron, potassium, and protein.  
• Grandpa Admire's Lettuce-- A favorite butterhead lettuce that is also heat tolerant.  This pre-Cilvil War heirloom has high yields of large, fluffy, gorgeous heads that are slow to bolt and tender.  Grandpa Admire's is a great variety for Southern California growers that matures quickly and can hold in variable temperatures. Tasty and fresh lettuce is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, and folate.  
• Bull's Blood Beets-- These beets are gorgeous and incredibly versatile, with heavy producing greens and bulbs that can withstand heat and cold.  We always get a lot of mileage out of our beet greens, and are glad we can sow these all the way into fall.  A classic red beet (with unbelievable hue) complete with high nutrient content of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and folate. 

Thanks, and more updates to come! 

Corinne :)

August 8, 2015 - SYP and GrowGood Summer Fundraiser; 275 attendees enjoyed an amazing event!

On August 8th, GrowGood teamed up with the Society of Young Philanthropists “SYP" for a summer pool party event in Brentwood.  The event was a great success with over 275 attendees!! 

A HUGE thank you to everyone at SYP: Obai Ahmadi, Francesca Ruzin, Leo Grifka, Alex Smith, Rebecca Sahim, Adam Blazer, Adam Pugatch, David Ravanshenas, Deyan Sabourian, Adam Kahan, Kevin Klein, and Sarah Noorian!!! Thank you also to Matt Landes and his Cocktail Academy crew for serving amazing drinks (http://cocktailacademyla.com). 

SYP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization designed to create a network of distinguished professionals by promoting philanthropic causes through charitable events. SYP's goal is to offer an attractive opportunity for young professionals to contribute their resources and skills to charitable causes.  Check out what they do at: http://www.sypla.org. 

September 4, 2015 - GrowGood's "Food for Life" Garden Class Workshop Begins Again!

GrowGood's "Food For Life" garden class workshop for Shelter residents began its fall session on September 4, 2015.  Farm Manager Jayne Torres is leading the workshops. The workshop classes consist of classroom instruction, hands on training, and ongoing maintenance of the farm.  The lesson plan roughly follows a six-week schedule, with two sessions per week.  A certificate of subject mastery is issued to residents who complete the program. 

So far, three Shelter residents are participating.  On the August 4th class session, GrowGood Farm Manager Jayne started the session covering farming methods and philosophies such as Biodynamics and Permaculture, then moved on to topics, including: seed saving and propagating, creating and utilizing 'on farm' organic fertilizers (compost, worm tea, animal manure, etc.), soil biology, native plant propagation, and the wonder of bees. 

GrowGood was also honored to have three guest workshop leaders!

Master Gardeners Don Smith and Lora Hall led the soil and hands-on native plant propagation workshops.  Moreover, Katie Lewis, Bee Keeper and GrowGood volunteer conducted the Bee workshop where residents learned many interesting facts about bees (did you know that bees are responsible for one out of every three or four bites of food we eat?) and built a native bee nest!

Native bee habitat created at the workshop. 

September 5, 2015 - 470 lbs in August, Volunteers Making the Difference!

We are grateful for our volunteers! During the month of August, Bell Shelter clients provided almost 44 hours of volunteer hours to the case. Additionally, our outside volunteer friends contributed a total of 23 hours. The extra manpower has made a BIG difference: the farm yielded 470 lbs of produce in the month of August! Boooyah!

That puts us at 1,910 lbs for the year - all produce, of course, going to the Shelter's kitchen.  

We need your help! Contact Jayne (Jayne@grow-good.org) to find out more about opportunities and Volunteer Saturdays on the first and third Saturday of each month. 

                                                       Superstar volunteer Maria Beale mixing soil. 

September 1, 2015 Kellogg Keeps on Givin'

Many thanks to Kellogg Garden Products and Ty Hall (Regional Manager) for their latest in kind contribution of a large assortment of quality organic soils, compost and fertilizers. 

Once again, Kellogg stepped up for us, big time! We couldn't do what we do without them!!

http://www.kellogggarden.com

August 28, 2015 - Kayaking Adventure Down the LA River

BIG thank you to L.A. River Expeditions for taking 9 Bell Shelter residents, 2 Shleter staff members, former Bell Mayor Nestor Valencia, as well as GrowGood Farm Manger Jayne on a remarkable kayaking adventure down the LA River! 

L.A. River Expeditions is an incredible and generous organization. Check them out: http://lariverexpeditions.org. 

July 24, 2015 - TaskUs Volunteer Day

It was hot, the work was not easy, but the volunteers from the Santa Monica based company Task Us were up for the challenge.  

Task Us provides outsourced customer care and back office support for some of the most innovative companies in the world, including Uber, Tinder, and Groupon.  Task Us founders Jaspar Weir and Bryce Maddox have been supporting GrowGood from the beginning. 

See pics below of Task Us volunteers mulching, weeding, and building our new post harvest station. 

JULY 22, 2015 - 'GROUND OPERATIONS' SCREENING

Big thank you to Steve Lytle, Alex Tostes, and our Salvation Army Bell Shelter friends for hosting the screening of the documentary 'Ground Operations' at the Bell Shelter.  The purpose of the screening was primarily to motivate and engage the Shelter’s veteran clients to volunteer at GrowGood’s farm.

Farm Manager Jayne Torres speaking in the Bell Shelter's Dinning Hall. Jayne introduced the movie and spoke about the volunteer opportunities at GrowGood farm for Shelter residents, many of whom are veterans.  

The event was spearheaded by Jeff Norman with Home Front Rising (http://homefrontrising.org).  Jeff does great work with Home Front Rising, which develops food, housing and career solutions for military veterans.

For those of you who do not know, ”Ground Operations: Battlefields to Farmfields" is an award-winning documentary film about the growing network of combat veterans transitioning into sustainable farming and ranching. 

The event was successful not just because over 100 residents watched the film, but a number of veteran residents - inspired by the documentary - have become regular volunteers at the farm.

After the screening, Edgar Hercila, a local farmer-veteran, spoke about his experience in the military, his journey from soldier to farmer, and his successful basil growing enterprise in Anaheim, CA.  

Edgar’s story inspires us and we hope to tour his operation soon.