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A aerial view of the Orange Home Grown Education Farm

The Orange Home Grown
Education Farm

Location & Hours

When

Open Every Friday to Volunteers from 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Rain or Shine

(we reserve the right to close as necessary for the safety of our community due to weather and for holidays)

Where

356 N. Lemon Street Orange, CA 92866 

Parking

Parking can be found at the Chapman Barrera Parking Structure, located directly across from the farm. Please be sure to purchase a two hour guest parking pass at the kiosk located next to the elevator. Additional on-street parking is available on the 200 block of Lemon Street, the 300 block of Palm Avenue, and the 200 block of Cypress Street. All just a short walk to the farm.

A place to grow.

The Education Farm started in 2016 with the goal of creating a space to provide in-person education about aspects of growing, harvesting, and distributing sustainable food. The farm site, located on a vacant residential lot owned by Chapman University, began as a compacted dirt lot that over time has been transformed into a thriving collection of raised beds, growing zones, a composting corner, citrus and stonefruit tree collection, a vermicompost station, tool shed, greenhouse, education class space, and a seed-saving depository. All these elements offer a smorgasbord of ideas to the community on how to grow food and tend a garden. 

 

Besides abundant growing areas, the farm regularly becomes an outdoor classroom offering free seminars to the community. These events can vary from vermicomposting to artisanal soap making to informal chefs' talks.

 

Relying on our own professional knowledge, support from garden-planning software from Farmers’ Almanac, OC Master Gardeners, local nurseries, Chapman University professionals, and the experience of our many volunteers, we collectively make decisions and set goals to use regenerative farming practices to grow a steady stream of crops year-round that often are donated to the community.

 

Why do volunteers flock to work at the Orange Home Grown Education Farm? One volunteer captured it well: “To connect. As a society we have come so far from the earth, so I come to the farm to connect to the earth.”

Come Learn to Farm On Fridays

If you are interested in volunteering at the Orange Home Grown Education Farm during our Friday open hours, please fill out the contact form and we will get in touch with you.​

Group Farm Events

For group tours and programs, please contact Executive Director, Megan Penn at megan@orangehomegrown.org for more information. A $50 donation paid through our donation page is requested to help cover material costs. Please designate your gift to the “Education Farm Group Event" fund. 

Thanks for your interest. We will be in touch with you soon!

A diverse group of people gardening at the Orange Home Grown Education Farm

Volunteer Information

All volunteers will need to attend an orientation prior to volunteering. Volunteer orientations occur on the second Friday of every month.

 

Please dress appropriately; we suggest wearing a sun protective hat, gardening gloves, and sunblock. Please bring a refillable water bottle and wear close-toed shoes for your safety. 

 

Before you begin your volunteer work, we require all volunteers to complete and sign the following waiver form. This waiver is essential for ensuring the safety and well-being of both our volunteers and the individuals we serve. Anyone volunteering under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. If under the age of 18 a parent must sign the waiver. Thank you for your interest in volunteering!

Education Farm Objectives

  • Create a diverse, productive, sustainable, and healthy farm organism through regenerative and organic farm management principles.

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  • Provide volunteer opportunities for people in the community interested in learning regenerative and organic farming methods.

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  • Host home-school visits in the spring and fall, allowing students to build healthy relationships with our food and its lifecycle.

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  • Hold food preservation and composting classes, seed saving workshops, gardening classes and other related activities devoted to sustainable living skills in partnership with the UCCE Master Gardeners of Orange County and a variety of professional groups and organizations.

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  • Develop and provide engagement opportunities on the farm.

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  • Partner with city and Youth Centers of Orange to support summer program opportunities in organic farming and children’s education curriculum.

A volunteer at the Orange Home Grown Farm
education_farm_2022-53.jpg
A group of volunteers at the Orange Home Grown Education Farm

Help enrich your community

Every donation is used to support the branches of the Orange Home Grown Foundation directly benefiting the Orange community and its surrounding cities.

A aerial view of the Circle of Orange also known as the Orange Plaza
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