Come meet amazing people and learn how you can grow healthy food, reduce the use of toxic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides AND make a difference in climate change. Let's get inspired!

Sundays at Community Roots Farm are all about soil health. Volunteers will learn by doing: how to build a hot compost pile to create weed and pathogen-free finished compost. There will be opportunities to learn about soil microbiology and its relationship to growing healthy plants. This project is funded by Cal-Recycle with the goal of reducing materials sent to the landfill and to create a community around composting.

Volunteer tasks include: chopping feedstock materials such as sunflower and amaranth stalks, using a wheelbarrow to move organic materials (weeds, old plants, chicken bedding) from the farm area to the composting area, assisting visitors to the farm who are dropping off buckets of food scraps, watering and documenting temperatures of compost piles, sifting worm castings, spreading finished compost, and anything compost related.

Opportunity Requirements & Important Notes

Attire: Please wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get dirty. This opportunity takes place outdoors with little or no shade.

Bring: Please bring water as there is no filtered water available on-site. Hats, sunscreen and gloves are recommended.

Waiver: Minors must have a waiver signed by their parent/guardian prior to participating. Waivers can be downloaded here or signed on-site.

Weather: This project is only canceled for heavy rain. If it is canceled, volunteers will be notified as soon as possible.

Note: Volunteers are encouraged to bring buckets of food scraps (please no excessive dairy, meat or oils), shredded paper, bunny, chicken, goat or horse manure/bedding, coffee grounds, eggshells, and other compostable materials to be composted.

About Botanical Community Development Initiatives

Botanical Community Development Initiatives (BCDI) is working to improve lives by connect plants, people, and community. Community Roots Farm is a project of BCDI and is 1-acre urban farm located in an Oceanside neighborhood and grows food with community, for community. The sustainably-grown produce is served in meals to children in local state-funded preschools that are located in low socioeconomic neighborhoods where access to fresh food is lacking.

For more information please visit the organization directly at: https://plantspeoplecommunity.org/