Community gardens are spaces of common ground where all kinds of people come together to grow healthy food. Each garden is unique in its own way: some provide space for individuals to grow their own fresh produce, others grow food collectively and distribute the produce to volunteers, while others grow food for the Food Bank or local schools. All improve our quality of life, beautify neighborhoods, provide food security, strengthen social connections, and preserve green space. If you’re looking for a healthy way to make new friends, learn useful skills, and reap the abundant harvest, check out one (or all!) of our Coast Community Gardens.
The Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School (300 Dana Street, Fort Bragg) is an on-site Farm to School program and center for education in community-based agriculture. Volunteer workdays are held every Friday from 1-5pm and volunteers always leave with helpful gardening tips, new friends, and fresh produce in hand. Low cost workshops and events are held periodically in the garden, including an annual Earth Day celebration held the last Sunday of April. Contact Sakina Bush, Noyo Food Forest Learning Garden Manager, at (707)964-9232 for more information.
The Noyo Come-Unity Garden at Thanksgiving Coffee is a traditional community garden where individuals and families rent plots to grow their own fresh produce. It is located in the south harbor of Fort Bragg adjacent to the world famous Thanksgiving Coffee roasting headquarters. The Garden hosts eleven individual plots and a large communal garden space where food is grown and donated to local shelters and food banks. This garden is led by Noyo Food Forest Community Gardens Coordinator Katrina Aschenbrenner who can be reached at (707)964-3979. Community workdays are held most Sundays from 1-4pm, weather permitting.
The Caspar Community Garden provides space for people to garden and encourages community members to grow organic produce for themselves, for the Caspar Community Center, and for people in need. Volunteer workdays are held on Sundays from 10-2 and can also be scheduled during the week by contacting Liz Haapanen at (707)964-1674 or Alexandria Alexander at (707)964-5512. The garden is located behind the Caspar Community Center at 15051 Caspar Road.
The Mendocino Community Garden was founded in 1997 and is the longest growing community garden on the coast. The organic garden is tended jointly by all who work within it and the bulk of the food goes to the Fort Bragg Food Bank and local soup kitchens. Community workdays are held on Saturdays from 11-2 and the garden is located on the east side of the Mendocino Recreation Center. Contact S.A. Ephraim at (707)937-3037 for more information.
Contact the Noyo Food Forest at (707)964-0218 if you are interested in supporting community gardens or if you have land within the City of Fort Bragg that could be turned into the next community garden.
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