Program Overview

Mission

Tierra Miguel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization offering education programs to inform and educate on the value of local, sustainable agricultural practices and to demonstrate these practices on an 85-acre working produce farm. We aim to strengthen the connection between people and the source of their food. (Tax ID #: 33-0900911).

Program Services

FARM TO SCHOOL

Tierra Miguel Foundation offers education programs that support sustainable agriculture practices for all ages.

Farm to School Program. This program encourages schools to purchase fresh, locally grown produce for use in their school meal programs. The farm supplements and enhances school wellness programs by providing additional educational support through our nutrition-based curriculum and experiential learning opportunities during farm visits. This program connects the food in the cafeterias to farms and personal health so that students can better relate to ways their food choices affect their health. (See Growers Collaborative program information below.) We work with school nutrition directors to introduce new ways to incorporate locally grown produce in their purchasing schedules, taking advantage of seasonal shifts in the cost of produce to provide more variety to schools. We are building a not-for-profit distribution center specifically to supply local schools to efficiently distribute from local small-scale farms to local schools. We collaborate with other agencies and farms to find new cost-effective ways to bring fresh food into the cafeteria with minimal processing and minimal transport. We partner with other organizations with similar infrastructure needs (food banks, community gardens, etc) to share storage space to cut overhead costs. Funding for this program is currently being provided through purchase agreements and fees for service. We are seeking expanded funding from several organizations to bring the program into San Diego City Schools. We received support from Jimbo’s…Naturally! to provide much needed nutritional information and other Farm to School information to San Diego County students and their families. ( Jimbo’s chose Tierra Miguel Foundation as its charity for 2006.) Additional funding is being sought for this program.

Growers Collaborative. As part of our FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM, Tierra Miguel Foundation is planning a partnership with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and its subsidiary, The Growers Collaborative LLC, a social venture business that aggregates fresh fruits and vegetables from California family farmers who practice sustainable agriculture. This collaboration is being developed for San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties. This program is not yet funded. More information will be available on this program in the Fall of 2007.

Read To Feed, Lessons From A Village Called Earth. Through our partnership with Heifer International, students participating in programs at Tierra Miguel Foundation have an incredible opportunity to learn about sustainable solutions toward ending poverty across the world. Using Heifer International-developed curriculum, children earnt that they can help decrease poverty, improve our environment and become better global citizens. This curriculum teaches Heifer International’s approach to sustainable development, focusing on science, geography, economics, and civics. Heifer International has helped more than one million impoverished families in 110 countries become self-reliant through the gift of livestock and training in environmentally sound agriculture. Program curriculum includes work books, videos, and other materials for the student to take home. This program is being developed in collaboration with Heifer International. Materials and volunteer teachers are provided by Heifer International. Program support will be provided by Tierra Miguel Foundation.

Fresh From The Farm. TMF designed this program in conjunction with the Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College. It is a demonstration program introducing the story of a local organic farm and the concept of a CSA. A sample CSA box with fresh farm food is used in the classroom for taste testing, research and other activities. Nutrition information and the farm story is included in a Newsletter in each box. In three years more than 2000 classrooms participated in this program. Reports and surveys conducted by Center for Food and Justice, Occidental College, about the significant success of the program are available upon request. The program was funded through Nutrition Network in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Farmer For A Day. TMF offers a fun and informative hands-on experience of a working farm for students throughout Southern California. Students learn about the history of agriculture and a brief overview of agriculture in Pauma Valley from pre-agriculture to the present. Students become "farmers-for-a-day" as they move through five stations in the garden where a hands-on approach to learning includes: collecting and processing seeds from their pods; seeing worms and worm castings and learning about their role in creating better soil; planting and irrigating their “crops” in small take-home pots; observing farm equipment and tractors in action and learning about their use on a farm; harvesting and washing farm fresh produce (such as carrots, tomatoes or strawberries, depending on seasonal conditions) to happily eat as healthy nutritious snacks. Nutritional and soil conservation educational components are also available, as well as night time astronomy lessons or an afternoon trip to the observatory at Mt. Palomar. Programs are offered Tuesday though Thursday September-November and again March-June. Seed funding for this program was generously provided by the San Diego Women’s Foundation. This program is maintained through fee-for-service.

Healthy Life Program (HELP). TMF developed this pilot project for diabetes and obesity prevention for underserved local populations. TMF is bringing together strategic partners to plan and help implement focused program activities to encourage three lifestyle skills including: choosing to eat healthy foods and practice healthy eating habits; learning about the link between nutrition and health; obtaining diabetes and obesity testing, education and prevention; and becoming more physically active to reduce the prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Our strategic partners include: Palomar Pomerado Health (which generously provided a shade structure for our outdoor classroom facility and awarded Tierra Miguel Foundation its 2005 Unity Award,) Neighborhood Health, Indian Health Clinic, Shiley Eye Center, Mobile 10, Pauma Valley Lions Club, and Dr. Audrey Spindler, Professor and Director Didactic Program in Dietetics at SDSU, and her students. Funding for the pilot project was generously provided by The California Endowment.

School "Edible Garden" Program. Based on the "Edible Schoolyard" program developed and supported by Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation, staff from Tierra Miguel Foundation are in collaboration with teachers and school Food Service personnel to develop and implement a small school garden appropriate for the individual school environment. The garden provides students with an opportunity to grow food which they then learn to prepare working with Food Service personnel, local chefs and TMF staff. Students learn how to use the produce to prepare nutritious school and after school meals. TMF staff coordinates local nurseries, guest chefs, and community health providers which supply materials and support to develop the school garden "seed to table" experience. They assist with provision of nutritional and health information. The "seed to table" experience includes students in every aspect of planning and garden implementation such as: preparing the soil, planting, watering, tending and harvesting garden crops. Farm visits to Tierra Miguel Foundation are part of the program to learn about farms in their natural context. Alice Waters says, "Learning to plan, serve and eat the meals prepared with fresh, in-season produce, is a way of awakening the senses and imparting values of nourishment, community and stewardship of the land." TMF provides staff support to teach school staff and volunteers how to maintain the garden throughout the school year. Additional programming in areas of garden development, nutritional and physical education are also provided. Funding for this program is being developed with various funding organizations and will also include a fee for service We are working with many schools on their Wellness Policy development and offer additional information in the policy areas.

Gardening & Nutrition (G&N). This was initially designed as a weekly elective program for participants in the Male Involvement Program (MIP), an adolescent and teen pregnancy prevention program run by the Human Services department of the Indian Health Council (IHC.) The participants are usually between 11-14 years of age and spend 1.5 hours per week learning health and gardening concepts and hands-on work in the garden and kitchen. One objective of this program is to provide healthy snacks of fresh fruits and vegetables to encourage trialing new foods. Participants are taught new food preparation techniques. Participants are also provided with fruits and vegetables from the garden and farm for home use in order to implement healthy lifestyle choices promoted in the G&N classes. Another objective of this program is the creation of a "student garden" at our farm which includes some 2000 square feet of growing beds available for student plantings. The students learn how to raise vegetables and fruit trees, as well as soil and water management. This training is designed to teach skills that can be applied to a home garden or school project and can translate into more healthful lifestyle choices and opportunities. Initial funding was provided by the Indian Health Clinic. This program was also generously funded by a private donor through the San Diego Foundation. We are working with Indian Health Clinic to seek additional funds to maintain this program through the Clinic.

Native Scholar Collaboration. Working together with Young Native Scholars in "The BRIDGE" program, 100 students participated in program with TMF. The work is directed toward decreasing health disparities in the Native American community and increasing the interest and representation of American Indian youth in a culturally based, organic food curriculum that can support Native American communities. Program is funded by Tierra Miguel Foundation specifically to assist these youth.

Multinational Exchange For Sustainable Agriculture (Mesa) Internships. TMF offers a 7.5 month-1 year program for international university students or graduates in organic and sustainable agriculture. We provide housing, food, a stipend, educational programs, transportation and entertainment for the interns in exchange for 48 hours of farm work per week. The trainees learn hands-on and conceptual management of the agro-ecosystem, business, and marketing skills necessary to have a successful farm. The program is designed to expose the trainees to new technology, methods, crops, and marketing systems so that they can bring improvements to their home countries. We have hosted women and men from Nepal, Thailand, Lithuania, Ecuador, and Georgia (Russia.) Funding provided by Tierra Miguel Farm.

Farm Volunteer Day. We offer an opportunity to visit and work on the farm the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 am – 1:00 pm. Working alongside farm management and trained volunteers, we focus on various farm projects in the fields, orchards and around the education program grounds. Tours, education activities and special events are all part of this monthly experience. Our full 2008 Calendar will be available January 1, 2008. Funding for this program is provided by Tierra Miguel Farm

Biodynamic Farming Course. We offer a series of courses designed to give an introduction to Biodynamic agricultural practices. Biodynamic agriculture is an advanced organic farming system that is gaining increased attention for its emphasis on food quality and soil health. A basic ecological principle of biodynamics is to conceive of the farm as an organism, a self-contained entity. A farm is said to have its own individuality. Emphases are placed on the integration of crops and livestock, recycling of nutrients, maintenance of soil, and the health and wellbeing of crops and animals. The farmer too is part of the whole. Thinking about the interactions within the farm ecosystem naturally leads to a series of holistic management practices that address the environmental, social, and financial aspects of the farm. A fundamental tenet of biodynamic agriculture is that food raised biodynamically is nutritionally superior and tastes better than foods produced by conventional methods. These monthly courses are offered on the last Saturday of the month semi-annually. This is a fee- based program, with additional support provided by Tierra Miguel Foundation.

DEMONSTRATION FARM/CSA

We are a young demonstration farm growing safe, organic, and nutritious produce distributed to over 300 members in Southern California using the community supported agriculture model.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an innovative approach to farming connecting local farmers with local consumers. This model helps to develop regional food supplies and encourages a strong local economy while maintaining a sense of community that supports active land stewardship. The CSA program is a partnership between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food through a mutual commitment. Supporters cover a farm's yearly operating budget by purchasing part of the season's harvest. This commitment supports the farm through each season, and assumes the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Becoming a CSA participant creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and with those who grow it. Funding for this program is provided through CSA membership.

We find that many members want to buy local because concerned about restoring integrity to their food system. They are concerned about the integrity of the food system and CSA membership allows them to reconnect to the source of their food restoring confidence in that system. Eating local improves food quality. Local foods can be fresher, more flavorful, and nutritious than can fresh foods shipped in from distant locations. Many don’t realize that San Diego ranks as the #1 county in the nation in small (under 10 acres) farms. And eating local opens new markets to farmers which helps to protect the local foodshed/system by saving farmland.

SOIL CONSERVATION PROGRAM. We practice critical soil conservation through advanced organic farming methods on our farm. Currently, we are in collaboration with San Diego County and the USDA-NRCS to offer education to local farmers on the benefits of using wood chip waste for erosion control, reduced water use, disease and insect control and improved soil fertility. In addition, we are working with UC Cooperative Extension on a research program investigating the benefits of wood chip waste or mulch to increase water savings and crop yield. We are studying the application of woodchip mulch to avocado orchards as it affects irrigation design, moisture retention and evaporative loss. The goal of this project is to advance knowledge about the use of woodchip mulch as a tool for conservation of irrigation and precipitation in the major avocado producing areas of Riverside and San Diego Counties (some 32,860 acres.) Many of these orchards are old and under consideration for replanting at a time when irrigation costs have increased dramatically. Thus there is a need to study methods for improving irrigation efficiency and soil conservation for hillside soils where the majority of avocado orchards are situated. Avocado production occurs on well drained hills’ soils due to a need to avoid excessive soil moisture which causes a major disease (Phytopthora-“ root rot”) affecting avocado yield. Dr. Gary Bender, UC San Diego Extension farm advisor has proposed a study of the interactions between various mulch materials, sprinkler design and irrigation rates that area farmers are using and considering for future use. Seed funding for three years of program activity has been generously provided by an anonymous foundation. Additional funding is provided through fee for service.

GREENWASTE COMPOSTING DEMONSTRATION. TMF is instituting a Regional Model Development Project for On-Farm Resource Management and Sustainable Agriculture. This demonstration project is designed to educate regional agricultural professionals and public sector planners about sustainable agriculture and resource management, with an emphasis on environmentally-sound weed, insect and disease management. As part of a comprehensive alternative farming approach, TMF will operate as a demonstration facility, employing principles of ecological farming and resource management onsite. A series of regional workshops, promoted to farmers throughout California and the Southwestern United States, will be held at TMF and available to all those who cannot attend in PowerPoint format on TMF’s website. Study results and best management practices utilized to achieve program goals will be incorporated into detailed planning guides. Included in all educational components will be specific operational guidelines, equipment and site selection, maximizing on-farm resources, and alternative marketing approaches. Technologies studied and demonstrated include: on-farm composting; utilizing compost-amended soil and organic mulches for disease management; manure utilization and management; mulching as a weed abatement strategy; reducing pesticide/fertilizer requirements through effective utilization of mulches and compost; the economics of sustainable farming and value of transitioning to becoming an organic farm; and diversifying revenue streams and developing alternative marketing strategies through compost and mulch production and sales. This project is supported by Supervisor Horn, Chairman of San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Wayne Williams, Program Coordinator, Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Section, SD County, Eric Larsen, San Diego Farm Bureau and Valerie J. Mellano, UC Cooperative Extension. Funding is being sought though SARE and Supervisor Horn. Ongoing support for this program will be through a fee for service for training, research and green waste composting.

FARMLAND AND AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION PROGRAM. Historic Federal and State of California grants totaling $1.91 million were awarded to Tierra Miguel Foundation in September 2003. Tierra Miguel Foundation closed escrow on June 24, 2004 preserving 84.91 acres of precious farmland in north San Diego County with the first ever Temporary Fee Title grant awarded in the State of California. Also received, was the first ever Agricultural Conservation Easement grant awarded south of Santa Barbara to preserve in perpetuity the agricultural productive capacity and open space character of the property. Fallbrook Land Conservancy, a private, nonprofit, tax -exempt organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the rural lifestyle and natural beauty of the area, partnered with Tierra Miguel Foundation as the Agricultural Easement holder and monitor. Generous funding was provided by the California Department of Conservation, California Farmland Conservancy Program, which provides grant funding for projects which use and support agricultural conservation easements for protection of agricultural lands. Also funding was the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, which provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Tierra Miguel Foundation encourages the long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands through the voluntary use of agricultural conservation easements which preserve and protect farmland in perpetuity. The goal of an agricultural conservation easement is to maintain agricultural land in active production by removing the development pressures from the land. Such an easement prohibits practices which would damage or interfere with the agricultural use of the land. Because the easement is a restriction on the deed of the property, the easement remains in effect even when the land changes ownership. Workshops on land conservation are regularly offered. See SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURES CONSORTIUM for current program activity.

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURES CONSORTIUM. The Consortium promotes and encourages best management practices for San Diego’s sustainable environmental future through public education and outreach. Funded by the San Diego Foundation, principal program elements include: 1) identifying interested and impacted parties, 2) inviting and building broad participation by these interests, 3) convening the Consortium, surveying and defining a balanced platform and focused direction. Communication by the SEFC staff occurs with those interested and with recognize national / statewide organizations supporting sustainable futures. By building this coalition of conservationists, agricultural interests, consumers, relevant agencies and organizations, resources are identified and encouraged to advance protection and sustainability for working lands. A public educational program is co-sponsored by the SEFC, the San Diego Conservation Resource Network and the San Diego Foundation. Its purpose is to bring to local awareness the urgency of retaining agricultural lands, promoting healthy soils, foods, air, and water quality. The program identifies, helps to define and inform about the lasting costs being experienced by loss of San Diego working lands and the many populations affected. This program has been funded through a generous grant by The San Diego Foundation.

Thank you for your interest in our programs.

For more information please contact:

Beth Ann Levendoski, President
P.O. Box 1065 (Mailing)
Pauma Valley, CA 92061
760-742-4213 Telephone
619-884-5634 Cell
760-742-1151 Facsimile
bethlevendoski@tierramiguelfarm.org