Our Mission
Caring for the earth and our neighbors by organically farming and freely giving fruits and vegetables to people experiencing food insecurity in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Returning Volunteer? Click that full Calendar button to see events & sign up! New volunteer, keep reading! Then click.
Team work is how we get things done at the Farm and we've got plenty of teams for you to join! Each team operates under the Farm Operations Team and each team leader coordinates projects under the direction of the Farm Liaison, Kathy Keil.
2022 Harvest Totals
Veggie Field = ★coming soon★
Orchard = 78 lbs
Total = 78 lbs
Seed Team Captain: Marti Kessler
Weeding Team Captain: ★Recruiting★
Farm Care Captain: Paul Shackelford
Harvest Team Captain: Wes Carlson
Special Projects Captain: Fred Kessler
Communications Director: ★Recruiting★
There's no formal membership requirements other than an open heart and willing hands. Just sign-up for an event and join the team!
Who We Are
We are a faith-based, volunteer-run, nonprofit farm inspired by Christ’s profound love for humankind to practice compassion without exception. We do this by offering our first-choice harvest without prejudice or condition to all local community members experiencing food insecurity.
Farm Teams
Pillars of Operation
Planting Hope
In a world divided by clan, creed, practice, status, and politics, Firstfruits Farm SLO is committed to acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with The Creator. We foster partnerships between churches, community organizations, and individuals. We seek to be an intersection for our community.
Growing Generosity
From seed to harvest, we cultivate our crops through volunteer-run activities, welcoming all ages and skill levels. Each farm event starts with instructions, and we have training videos on our Youtube channel. Everyone is welcome to use their capabilities to love their neighbors as themselves.
Honoring Dignity
We believe that every person bears the image of The Creator and is endowed with inherent worthiness. We understand many of our worthy neighbors lack access to fresh & nutritious food; so, we donate all harvests to our distribution partners who serve individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
Find and Follow Us on Social Media
Sign Up for our Newsletter
Keep up with all the happenings at the Farm and orchard!
If you have any questions or want to schedule a group for a team building experience at the farm, e-mail us.
Board of Directors
Keeping the organization on mission is the primary responsibility of the board of directors. This looks different in every nonprofit, and at the farm it means that members meet once per month to review what's going on in their area of responsibility and make sure that all farm activities and actions are in accordance with the Mission Statement and the Pillars of Operation.
Board members may serve up to two terms of two years per role. There are 7 board positions for the 2022-2024 term. Board members receive no financial or material compensation for their service.
President
Jen Smith
Treasurer
Kyle Madel
Farm Liaison
Kathleen Keil
Vice President
Wes Carlson
Secretary
Dinora Escalera Delgado
Executive Director
Paul Shackelford
Communications
Maybe You!
As the Communication Director you will develop, manage, and lead a team of 2-3 volunteers to execute a strategic communications plan in alignment with our mission statement and pillars of operation to keep the public, our partners, and our volunteers informed about our activities and opportunities to serve.