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WHO WE ARE

It takes a village (of volunteers)

Firstfruits Farm SLO is a 100% volunteer-run non-profit organization.

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Pillars of Operation

PLANTING HOPE

In a world divided by clan, creed, practice, status, and politics, Firstfruits Farm SLO is committed to choosing love first.

 

With love for the earth and love for our neighbors, we aim to be an intersection for our community and inspire hope for generations to come.

GROWING GENEROSITY

From seed to harvest, we cultivate our crops through volunteer-run activities, welcoming all ages and skill levels.

 

Everyone is invited to use their capabilities generously as we grow food  to feed our community.

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HONORING DIGNITY

We affirm the human right to dignity and belonging, celebrating diversity in our volunteers and recipients.

 

Through agency partnerships, our donated produce reaches individuals and families with limited access to high-quality, community-grown, fresh food.

Teams

Team work is how we get things done at the Farm! From planting and harvesting, to weeding and field preparation, volunteers are hard at work almost every day and assist with nearly every aspect of our farm operation.

Questions about teams or upcoming events? Get in touch.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Building, fixing, and tinkering

Two people working in an orchard

ORCHARD

Tending to our fruit trees

Two gloves hands planing seedlings next to an irrigation line

IRRIGATION

Keeping our plants happy and hydrated

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CROPS

Cultivating the best produce possible

A stack of seedling trays

SEEDLINGS

Caring for our youngest plants

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HARVEST

Gathering our goods

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POLLINATORS

Encouraging our flying friends to visit

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COMMS

Sharing the work of the farm

Board of Directors

Keeping the organization on mission is the primary responsibility of the board of directors. Our board members receive no financial or material compensation for their service.

Board Member Wes Carlson

Wes Carlson

President

Board Member Dinora Escalera

Dinora Escalera Delgado

Secretary

Board Member Rick Wolfe

Rick Wolfe

Treasurer

Board Member Kathy Keil

Kathy Keil

Farm Liaison

Board Member Ben Horton

Ben Horton

Harvest Captain

Board Member Sara Allen

Sara Allen

Comms Director

Annual reports

History

2011

A dream is formed! Ken and Judy Peet, Darin Laity, and a large group of friends from Trinity Presbyterian Chruch and Grace Church worked on establishing the farm.

2012

Soil & field preparations begin on a 1.5 acre parcel of land on the Peet's property.

2013

The farm's first growing season! We harvested 8,800 pounds of produce, which was distributed through the God's Storehouse food pantry.

2014

The SLO Food Bank began partnering with the farm to bring volunteer harvesters through its GleanSLO program.

2015

Aware of the lack of high quality fruit available, we expanded our operations by planting an orchard on the Peets’ property and moving the vegetable farm to a 2 acre parcel of land donated by Son Care Foundation.

2019

Firstfruits Farm SLO officially establishes as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

2022

The first set of permanent compost beds are built, starting our journey into regenerative, no-till farming.

2024

A walk-in chiller was constructed to extend the life of our produce and reach more recipients.

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