Farm Events

Restoration Season is at our door! What is Restoration Season you ask? Restoration Season is when we restore nutrients to the soil, restore our implements to better shape, restore our sheds to order and more farmy restoration things.

Families welcome!

While the work is different and less glamorous than harvesting, it is vital for our future Planting & Harvesting Seasons. Our soil is clay based which puts us at some advantages (clay based soil holds lots of nutrients for plants), but it's also a soil that needs constant regular attention. Will you give it some this year?
2020 Harvest

17,570 lbs

Get Involved: Join a Farm Event or Team

2021 Leader Training

Training opens in March 2021!

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Did you know that during the 2020 Harvest Season we ran over 104 service events and that every event is run by volunteer leaders like you? For 2021, we want to triple the number of volunteer leaders on our roster. If you have come out to the farm, love what we do, you are 18 or older, and available to lead up to three times a month next Harvest season, sign-up here!

Sign Up
FarmCare Leader Training

Join our Social Media Team

Training begins in February.

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If you love taking pictures or videos of the farm and are interested in gaining some brand management experience, be one of our social media volunteers! If you are a YouTube content creator expert, we definitely need you! 

Social media volunteers will be trained by our communications director and will have our brand book to guide the work.

Sign Up
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2021 Delivery

Program

Brainstorming for the 2021 Delivery Program will begin in January.

 

Ok team, we will have a veggie van next season and that means we get to be more creative with our delivery program. We’re thinking…wait for it…mobile farmer’s markets!!! 

 

If this excites you and you're committed to getting our food out of the field into the hands of our neighbors, sign-up here!

Sign Up
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Community Partnerships

Are you a member of a church with a food pantry? Are you part of a service organization that works with the food insecure? Are you a 4-H club officer looking for an ag project for youth without access to land to farm?

We are open to building new partnerships in 2021 with established organizations to get our food out of the field and into the hands of people in our county experience food insecurity.

Email Us

2020 Restoration

Projects

Harvests need large groups to process the produce, but Restoration Season projects typically call for small groups of 3-5 people and can be weather dependent. 

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If you would like to be on the list of volunteers we contact for small group Restoration Season  events, we would love to see you out at the farm.

Sign Up
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Volunteer Information

If this is your first time volunteering, you will be directed by the work-day leader to complete a volunteer registration packet prior to beginning work at the farm or orchard. Parents may add their children's names to their forms. You may review our liability waiver and terms of participation on-line before your event, but paper forms must be signed in person at the event..

See You Soon

Bring a full water bottle, gloves, a hat, sunglasses, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, a full water bottle, and your smile. Seriously folks, stay hydrated out there!

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The farm is located at 173 Buckley Road in San Luis Obispo. Our field is behind the office for Thousand Hills Pet Resort. Please drive slowly through the parking lot, follow the signs, and carpool if you can.

Get Your Farm T-Shirt Now!

Donate $25 to the farm via the donate tab or in person at an event.

To arrange pick-up of your shirt, screenshot and text your receipt with your first and last name and size (s, m, l, or xl) to

(805) 556-8362.

Who We Are

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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.

Planting Hope

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In a world easily divided by clan, creed, practice, status, and politics, Firstfruits Farm SLO is committed to acting Justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with The Creator through fostering ongoing partnerships between churches, community organizations, and individuals; in this way, we seek to be an intersection for our community.

Growing Generosity

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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

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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.

Friends of the Farm

Set up a recurring monthly donation of any amount to become an official

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Friend of the Farm!

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​We suggest $8 per month.

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If 120 people give $8 a month, we will cover approximately 40% of our operations budget.

Freinds of the Farm

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.
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Meet Our Board of Directors

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President

Darin Laity

Darin Laity serves as the Superintendent of Operations - 148th Space Operations Squadron. He formerly owned and operated a private farm.

 

Darin is a cofounder of Firstfruits Farm SLO.

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Farm Liaison

Marti Kessler

Marti Kessler is a retired San Luis Obispo teacher. Marti is passionate about gardening and caring for people. She has experience serving in different community organizations and is certified in produce safety.

 

Marti is a cofounder of Firstfruits Farm SLO.

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Fundraising

Greg Jeffrey

Greg Jeffrey is SLO native and a Full Time Staff Missionary with CRU. He is passionate about people and relationships. Greg has been in church ministry leadership roles in the past and is very excited about serving SLO county through FirstFruits Farm SLO.


Greg began volunteering at the farm in 2020.

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Executive Director

Faith Carlson

Faith Carlson is a registered ASW with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. She has served seniors and the homeless population in San Luis Obispo County for eight years. Faith provides management and community program development experience.

 

Faith has been involved at the farm since 2013.

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Secretary

Wes Carlson

Wes Carlson is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments who has served clients in San Luis Obispo County for eight years. He has sat on multiple non-profit boards and provides community organization experience.

 

He has been involved with Firstfruits Farm SLO since 2013.

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Our History

Read Our Story

In 2011, two churches, Grace SLO and Trinity Church, came together to create Firstfruits Farm SLO as a joint farm ministry to supply first choice produce to God's Storehouse, a food pantry ministry operated by Grace Church...

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Treasurer

Fred Kessler

Fred Kessler was the president of his own private agricultural corporation that installed, serviced, and maintained dairy farm equipment throughout the state of Montana for 35 years. He is now retired. 

 

Fred is a cofounder of Firstfruits Farm SLO.

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Communications

Jen Smith

Jen Smith is the Senior Business Intelligence Strategist for The Parable Group in San Luis Obispo City. She provides experience with digital media, digital design, & communication management.

 

She has been involved at the farm since 2017.

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Our Partners

Feeding SLO

When you help at the farm, you are directly impacting the lives of hundreds of families who will receive, at no cost, fresh vegetables from food distribution sites such as God’s Storehouse, Judson Terrace, the Salvation Army, Stand Strong, the San Luis Obispo Veteran’s Center, and the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County.

Firstfruits Farm SLO

Firstfruits Farm SLO is a 501(c)(3)

Non-Profit Tax ID 84-3220046

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Our Contact Information

PO BOX 5157
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403


(805) 556-8362

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