A Feasibility Study for Urban Edge Agricultural Parks - SAGE

Occidental Arts& EcologyCenter(Occidental, CA)Deer HollowFarm (Los AltosHills, CA)PrivatelyownedLocated onthe 2,135-acre RanchoSan AntonioOpen SpacePreserve.Farm is runby the Cityof MountainViewRecreationDept.80 Yurts, dininghall,residences,bath houses &hot tubs10 Sheep, goats, Barns, office,educational classroomfarm & garden space, lodgingFarm,30+;Org,10Five site-based programsconduct research,demonstration andeducation activities thatserve the general public;these include biodiversity,permaculture, intentionalcommunity, and art themes.Three community-centeredprojects offer training,organizing and advocacy inservice of specificcommunities andorganizations in NorthernCalifornia and beyond.22+ Educational programs forvisiting school groups, (2-4hours long, tailored tocorrespond with CAcurriculum by grade level),Sept-May; summer camp;family programs andactivities; training andenrichment classes forvolunteers and docentsthroughout year; largerecognition dinner to thankvolunteers and donors.Friends of DHF put onevents including Ohloneday.All eight core programs aresupported financially byOAEC’s for-fee courses, plantsales, facility rentals,donations, and from privatefoundations and governmentgrants.Education programs reachnearly 5,000 students/year.Cost ranges from $20.25/hr to$80.75/hr, per school class,depending on school district.High demand for programs: byearly autumn, classes arebooked for the entire year.Animal component not fundedby City of Mountain View, tocover its own expenses: sellsproduce, animals, eggs, andreceives donations. Volunteerstaff of approx 65 (25 duringschool year, leadership trainingfor youth in summer). OpenSpace Preserve providesmaintenence employee.Educational programs are notadvertised, filled based onreptuation/word-of-mouth.No. 2004 budget: $897,000,including very significant inkindcontributions anddiverse funding base. 2004income sources shouldinclude: 29% program feesand plant sales, 25% in-kinddonations and workexchangeintern labor, 28%foundation grants, and 18%contributions fromindividuals. OAEC serves asthe fiscal sponsor of severalmajor projects, including a$300,000 grant from theCoastal Conservancy toconduct a study of SalmonCreek Estuary andassociated watershed, andthe statewide coalitionCalifornians for GE-FreeAgriculture, which raised$243,000 in 2003.NoOpen to thepublic,TuesdaythroughSunday,8:00AM -4:00 PMCity of Mountain View, Mid-Peninsula Open SpaceDistrict, Santa Clara County,Friends of Deer HollowFarm, donations, volunteers