Farm Construction in Motion.

Water Collection System

Our water collection system was installed in January, just before the heavy rains hit southern California. Just one month after installation and we collected nearly 4000 gallons of rainwater. Each stormwater hits three different downspouts attached to roof of all 3 structures on our property (main house, pavilion, and barn). The water caught in our tanks will be used to water our garden beds during the dry season.

Veggie Boxes

We have built 10 veggie boxes which will be enough for every student to have a 3x3 foot plot of their own, as well as a few community boxes to grow fruits and veggies that we can use for our lunch, community farm stand, and/or donations. Because we need to wait until late April for the land grading, we've set aside a few veggie boxes so the kids can start planting a few things now in preparation for a larger harvest in the future. We’re preparing to plant cauliflower, calendula, rosemary, broccoli, carrot and cucumber.

The backyard has been a labor of love and patience. We believe all of these wonderful things will be fully complete by the start of the 2024-2025 school year. 

Farm Scape

Our hardworking landscape team has advised we will need to wait until the rainy season is over to start grading the land again in preparation for the placement of the veggie boxes and nature play area. If they start prematurely then it rains, it changes the whole landscape and they will need to start over. The plan is to start everything in mid-late April! 

Once they start, they will level out the land and create some natural slopes to be incorporated into the nature play zone. This will feature log stumps, boulders, mud pit, and a dry river bed that will fill with any water overflow from the water tanks. Because they are already full (!!!), any new water that comes in will flow out into the drive river bed and slowly fill them. This river bed will wind through the backyard and simultaneously water the surrounding landscape as the water seeps into the earth-very cool!