By Lindsay Campbell March 2, 2020 At Homeless Garden Project, seeds are planted and lives are transformed. Michael Laffoon has a vivid memory of the day he decided to piece his life back together. “I literally woke up in my van and I thought ‘I can’t do this anymore because I’m going to die,’” he says. “It was just an overwhelming …
By ALISHA GREEN December 10, 2019 Adam Marshall remembers fondly the time he spent as a kid on his grandfather’s ranch in Watsonville. That’s where he learned how much he enjoyed labor-intensive work. He dreamed of carrying on his grandfather’s commitment to helping others in need without an expectation of anything in return—as Marshall recently explained to a riveted audience …
In Santa Cruz, a popular farm’s plans of expanding and finding a permanent location are finally on the way to becoming a sure thing. The Homeless Garden Project has signed a long-term lease with the City of Santa Cruz to relocate to Pogonip. BySierra Starks Reporter See full article and video here.
In a couple weeks I’ll be attending the oldest and largest ecological agricultural gathering in the West. The EcoFarm Conference has been a centrifugal force for more than 30 years. It will be jam-packed with networking opportunities and information on the newest eco-ag developments and techniques. Hot topic Farm Bill 2012 lectures will focus on important policy concerns. Newly emerging …
“Nothing enlightens the soul like putting one’s hands into fertile earth; realizing that cupped in one’s hands, rolling in between one’s fingers is a tiny universe constantly moving before, during and after our time.” — U-Knot-Me ….a vivid sentiment not expected from the pen of a person who is homeless. Yet it was and it brought tears…. just one of the …
Andrew Zimmern interviewed Darrie Ganzhorn, our Executive Director about the organization’s different facets, how the farm is a great equalizer and ways to get involved. Read the interview on AndrewZimmern.com AndrewZimmern.com: What is the mission of Homeless Garden Project? Darrie Ganzhorn: Our mission is “In the soil of our urban farm and garden, people find the tools they need to build …
More than 60 people helped garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Homeless Garden Project has been a designated volunteer day for a long time now. This year saw at least 60 helping hands, and many of them were families with children. “It’s a real treat when we get kids out here, because …
Behind each wreath that hangs at the Homeless Garden Project’s retail store, there is a story. When Robert Cochran, 38, arrived in Santa Cruz two years ago, he brought nothing with him but the clothes on his back and the resolution to turn his life around. He had decided to come to Santa Cruz on a whim, tired of his …
Homeless Garden Project Retail Store brings organic homemade products to Santa Cruzans made by people who need the help. At the new traffic circle close to the wharf, retail store opened its doors Friday for the first “Sweets and Treats” party. Over 120 people got a jump on their holiday shopping as they sampled locally-donated wines and project-made organic treats, …
A recently built toolshed, thousands of seedlings, new trainees—signs of a new season abound at the Homeless Garden Project’s farm near Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz as executive director Darrie Ganzhorn leads a tour, pointing out the nuts and bolts of what makes this organic garden grow. But it is the larger story of what this garden has nurtured over …
