FogHorn June 15, 2017  -  Lunch at the HEAL Farm

Naomi and Jon explained that HEAL stands for Health, Environment, Agriculture and Learning, noted that the HEAL Project just celebrated its tenth year, and talked about the Coastside's community of farmers. Naomi also described the many kids' activities offered at the farm, including growing seedlings using seeds and other materials donated by the Coastside's "Farmer John" Muller. They explained how  the kids also help with tasks like stamping paper bags used at the farm, with the farm logo.
But adults are part of the HEAL Project too: the speakers described activities open to adults like volunteer days and retreats that emphasize team-building. They described "First Farm Fridays," day-long drop-in events in  which volunteers help with the harvest and preparing produce for Farmers Market.
The theme and goal for young people of the farm and activities, the speakers said, was to show and teach kids just where their food comes from.
Naomi spoke about the busy HEAL Project classrooms and field trips it hosts for enthusiastic students, mentioned the farm's bougainvillea and olive trees, and described upcoming summer camps. She talked about how kids learn, explore and grow in the course of the camps. She talked with obvious enthusiasm about the farm's new tractor, and about how the HEAL Project has accomplished all it has with a relatively small staff of two full-time employees and five part-time employees. She explained how the staff strive to engage students through the program.
The speakers also explained how the HEAL Project supplies Farmers' Markets, and more about the volunteer days on Fridays when volunteers learn about farming.
They described the farm's relation to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which the farm is adjacent to, and the watershed. They mentioned Cabrillo Farms owner David Lea, who leases part of the Cabrillo Farms land to the HEAL Project and also provides water for the HEAL Project.
They also mentioned the hiking trails in the area, and how the fences they set up protect the gardens and crops from marauding deer. From there they mentioned other wildlife that had been observed in  the area:  bobcats, coyotes, gophers (that got a general laugh) and grey foxes. 
They spoke of their overall vision for the farm: helping foster a world in which children grew up knowing where their food comes from. They said that something like 2,000 students visited and learned from the farm last year.
"The students grew up knowing where their food comes from," they emphasized.
The farm charges field trip fees on a sliding scale determined by Free and Reduced Lunch percentages, and hosts fund-raisers to help with transportation, they said. They hope to serve San Mateo County, calling the Bay Area a "hot spot" for this sort of education, and spoke of their hopes for expansion.

 

(Editor's Note:  See more pictures in the PHOTO GALLERY)