Vegetable Garden and Orchard
Created and maintained by staff and a dedicated group of volunteers, this five-acre garden is a mix of annual and perennial vegetables, medicinal and edible herbs, fruit trees, and flowering plants that attract beneficial insects. Our mild climate enables us to grow and harvest vegetables year-round. Vegetables suitable for the cool coast are grown without pesticides and herbicides. Beneficial techniques in soil building, plant selection, and natural pest control can be observed in our demonstration garden.
The Giving Garden Program
The Giving Garden Program is a collaborative community gardening and food distribution program between the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and the Mendocino Food and Nutrition Program, also known as the Fort Bragg Food Bank. The larger goal of the collaboration is to promote food security in our community. There are two facets of the program; education and community engagement in the garden, and access to fresh organic produce for those who need it most at the Fort Bragg Food Bank. In order to ensure food security in our community, both facets are essential.
Each week, volunteers harvest the garden's bounty and deliver it to the Fort Bragg Food Bank (see annual donation amounts below). In 2013 we were able to donate more than 2,000 lbs of fresh produce. A major expansion of our Vegetable Garden in 2014 and 2015 allowed us to donate more than 40,000 pounds of fresh produce over the past seven years (2013-2020)! A new addition is a bed filled with plants that will be used for dyeing fibers and fabrics, in partnership with Pacific Textile Arts. The expansion of this garden means we have the ability to grow, utilize, and donate more produce, at the same time offering tremendous opportunities for education at multiple levels.
CLICK HERE to view more beautiful photos from our Vegetable Garden.
2022 Food Bank Donations TOTAL: 6,840 pounds
January: 177 pounds
February: 217 pounds
March: 262 pounds
April: 15 pounds
May: 267 pounds
June: 899 pounds
July: 1,038 pounds
August: 1,270 pounds
September: 1,410 pounds!!!
October: 1,263 pounds
2021 Food Bank Donations TOTAL: 7,922 pounds
January: 239 pounds
February: 386 pounds
March: 365 pounds
April: 509 pounds
May: 577 pounds
June: 1,456 pounds
July: 974 pounds
August: 935 pounds
September: 626 pounds
October: 875 pounds
November: 774 pounds
December: 206 pounds
As of December 2021, MCBG has donated 53,506 pounds over the past 7 years!
2020 Food Bank Donations: 7,594 pounds!!!
Monthly totals for 2020: CLICK HERE
2019 Food Bank Donations: 6,396 pounds
Monthly totals for 2019: CLICK HERE
2018 Food Bank Donations: 6,469 pounds
Monthly totals for 2018: CLICK HERE
2017 Food Bank Donations: 6,115 pounds
Monthly totals for 2017: CLICK HERE
2016 Food Bank Donations: 5,620 pounds
Monthly totals for 2016: CLICK HERE
2015 Food Bank Donation: 7,116 pounds
Monthly totals for 2015: CLICK HERE
2014 Food Bank Donation: 6,274 pounds
Monthly totals for 2014: CLICK HERE
If you have a passion for vegetables, more volunteers are welcome! Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 707-964-4352 ext. 10.
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