Dear Farm Friends,
If you have not had a chance to join us since our big Earth Day celebration in April, now is the time to see how the garden has bloomed in the intervening weeks. Stop by for a community workday or attend our first workshop of the season (see details below).
As we approach the summer solstice—which coincides unusually with the full Strawberry Moon this year—many of the crops we planted in the spring are maturing beautifully for summer harvests: cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, beans, strawberries, and potatoes, among many others. Maybe you helped sow some seeds or plant some starts in the spring; come by and see how they’re doing, and work with us to plant some more.
The farm is also flecked with the color of many blooms: poppies, butterfly bush, salvias, daisies, and the lavender of water hyacinths in our pond ecosystem. Butterflies, bees, and birds are all loving them…so are we!
***
For our first workshop of the season, we’re pleased to host a new class that will give you a taste (literally) of the farm from a Chinese medicine-influenced perspective. Other workshops on soil health and native plants will follow later in the summer.
This class will teach you the basics of the 5 elements theory, focusing specifically on food as medicine and how we can examine what we grow and eat to benefit us best. You will find out how you can choose foods to create a balanced diet by using two categories associated with the five elements: color and flavor. We will use the farm’s outdoor kitchen to create and taste food items that have health benefits.* Workshop limited to 15 participants.
*This is an introductory class. It is advised to see a specialist for thorough diagnosis and treatment for any health conditions.
Audrey Jardin is a licensed acupuncturist and craniosacral therapist. She works as a graphic designer in SF and has a healing practice in the South Bay. (www.ahealingarden.com)
How to Register for the Workshop:
Complete this brief RSVP form.
Suggested donation: $20 per person; no one turned away for lack of funds
All donations will benefit Friends of Alemany Farm via our fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
You can make a donation on our online donation page on the sidebar menu at www.alemanyfarm.org. In the “in honor of” field on the donation form, please enter the name & date of the workshop you’re attending. Alternatively, you can pay with check or cash at the workshop. Checks should be payable to the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
***
Do you have knowledge of exterior painting and varnishing?
The very handsome large wooden sign at the farm entrance, which was designed and made for us by students from California College of the Arts, is showing some wear and tear. If you have expertise or experience in protecting exterior surfaces from the elements, we’d love to hear from you. The sign could use a little TLC to keep it looking great!
***
And please come by for by for one of our regularly scheduled community work days. Get your hands dirty, make some friends, and bring home some veggies:
For more information about visiting the farm and joining our community workdays, see our Get Involved page.
We look forward to seeing you at the farm soon!