Bounty Farm

55 Shasta Avenue, Petaluma.

The Bounty Community Farm is located at 55 Shasta Avenue off Petaluma Blvd. North (near the Lucky’s grocery store). After reading the content below, email the Education and Engagement Coordinator for volunteering, internships, field trips or other community oriented programing. Email the Farm Manager at farm@petalumabounty.org or call at (707) 364-4883 if you have any questions about Bounty Farm production.

Bounty Community Farm is located on approximately three acres near downtown Petaluma. Surrounded by four affordable housing sites, this green oasis is the hub and heart of our activities where we grow more than just nutritious food. We also grow skills, leadership, hope, and we promote understanding of sustainable agriculture and its role in a healthy food system. We employ sustainable agricultural methods to cultivate over 12,000 pounds of vegetables and fruits.

Our 2 staff members coordinate all formal and informal learning activities on the farm as we grow food in community for community. Through drop-in volunteer work, academic internships, Sonoma County Eco-Youth Corps (a job training program for youth), service learning projects, corporate workdays and more, everyone participates in making our community more food secure. The majority of our produce goes to low-income families and seniors in our community who would otherwise not be able to afford locally grown food.

How can you support the Bounty Community Farm?

  • Volunteer at the farmJoin us at the farm each week for volunteer workdays.  Email farm@petalumabounty.org to join our email list and to let us know that you plan to come out and volunteer.  All you need to bring is water, sunscreen, and your lunch … we provide everything else.
  • Donate money If you would like to make a monetary donation, click here to donate via Paypal.Or you can send a check to Petaluma Bounty 1500 Petaluma Blvd. South, Petaluma 94952. Please make sure to put Bounty Farm in the memo line.
  • Donate goods and services– Always looking for the items on our wishlist!
  • Purchase our farm fresh produce at these outlets.

History

The Bounty Community Farm is situated on land that has been generously shared by Gottfried Stonitsch and his family since 2007. Through the hard work of volunteers and the assistance of North Bay Construction, we transformed this long-vacant urban property into a beautiful and inspiring productive farm, harvesting the first crops in June of 2008.  In the Spring of 2009, a 74-fruit tree orchard was planted and an additional acre of land put into production

Where does the produce go?

The collective fruits of our efforts results in over 12,000 lbs of sustainably grown fresh produce, over half of which supports community efforts.

If you would like to purchase our farm fresh produce, click here for our outlets. If you are a restaurant or want to purchase in bulk, please contact our Farm Manager.

How does the Bounty Community Farm fit into our mission?

The Bounty Farm is the heart and core of our organization. It is the site of multiple programs and serves as a hub of community activity. The following initiatives would not be possible without the Bounty Farm:

Bounty CSA Bags– A partnership with the Petaluma community in which boxes of fresh produce are provided weekly to local families from June to November. As part of the Local Affordable Food Incentives, Bounty Farm actively seeks community sponsors for the Bounty Boxes that are provided to low-income families and seniors, so healthy food is accessible to members of the Petaluma community most in need.

Bounty Hunters– A food gleaning program in which produce from local farms and backyards that would otherwise go to waste is gathered by volunteers and provided to local kitchens and food pantries. Each year the Farm contributes thousands of pounds of produce to Bounty Hunters for donation to those in the community who are not food secure. Gleaning trainings for new volunteers are held regularly at the Bounty Community Farm and the farm shares supplies and refrigeration.

Educational Initiatives – The Bounty Educational Initiative has 3 priorities: 1) Improve participants’ relationship to food through hands-on experiences; 2) Increase individuals’ skills of food cultivation and preparation through workshops, volunteering, partnerships with job training agencies, schools, community organizers and community groups; and 3) Increase awareness of the true cost of food and foster engagement in community solutions. The Bounty Farm hosts formalized instruction through workshops, academic internships, A.L.I.V.E, field trips and job training. Informal, hands-on learning happens daily through service learning, volunteering, and tours.

Bounty Farm Stand/Farmacy – Selling fresh produce at the Petaluma Health Center and the Bounty Farm. The stand is open seasonally from June until November.

Internships – Whether you’re looking for school credit or are looking for an in-depth ongoing volunteer opportunity to enhance your community farming knowledge and skill set, we will try our best  to craft the right internship to match your skills and goals with ongoing farm needs.  We are proud to be a teaching farm and welcome interns of all ages.  Please contact the Education & Engagement Coordinator at education@petalumabounty.org to inquire.

What does a typical season look like at the Bounty Farm?

January- Start seeding in greenhouse. Kick-off volunteer season with Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

February- Interview potential interns, continue volunteer recruitment, conduct field trips, community service days. Continue greenhouse work.

March- Recruit low-income CSA members, distribute outreach material for workshops, Educator Open House, sliding scale farm stand, plant sale, and ALIVE. Conduct field trips, after-school groups, service learning as weather allows. Host Alternative Spring Break students. Mow and turn in cover crop as soon as fields are accessible. Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day of Service.

April- Plant Sale and farm production in full force. Recruit CSA members, ALIVE participants, and interns. Outreach for above initiatives, conduct field trips, service days, and after-school club. Publish Food Resource Guide (where to get free or low-cost food in Southern Sonoma County).

May- Start harvest season including CSA and farm stand, summer internships begin. Wind down field trips for summer, continue service learning and summer group visits. Conduct Educator Open House, plan and schedule for 2018-19 Academic Year. Recruit for ALIVE, CSA, farm stand, and volunteers.

June through August- host Sonoma County Eco-Youth Corps job-training program. Continue bi-monthly workshop series, service learning and group visits, CSA and sliding-scale farm stand, start ALIVE sessions. Hold monthly training sessions for new volunteers and gleaners.

August- host annual fundraiser. Re-start field trips. Maximum harvest time!

September- Continue bi-monthly workshop series, service learning and group visits, CSA and sliding-scale farm stand, field trips, continue ALIVE sessions. Coordinate gleans and bi-annual emergency food provider meeting.

October- Volunteer and Community Appreciation Harvest Party at Bounty Farm, field trips, community service days, continue sliding scale CSA and farm stand program, finish gleaning and preserving activities, continue ALIVE family nutrition classes.

November- Field trips, community service days, finish sliding scale CSA and farm stand program, final production workshop of the season. Finalize ALIVE Program and conduct post-evaluation. Winterize farm- pull all crops, plant cover crops.

December to January- Convene community meetings at neighboring affordable housing site to present initiatives, participatory program development, and prioritize topics for workshops. Recruit Spring interns and volunteers. Convene meeting for emergency food providers, identify needs, set priorities.

5 Replies to “Bounty Farm”

  1. Jack Grimes

    After reading an online article about Bounty Farm, i checked out the website and am interested in volunteering my time and services. I moved to Penngrove about a year ago after retiring in 2019. I’ll be in touch
    Jack

  2. Nickole Ruscigno

    Hi!

    I just submitted a volunteer interest form. I’m usually available every other Sat. I had previously signed up for this Sat 6/19 to work on the farm, but something came up and I can’t make it.

    I look forward to hearing from you for future help 🙂

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