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.

VIDEO: Veggies for Good

CLICK HERE to view more beautiful photos from our Vegetable Garden.

2021 Food Bank Donations TOTAL: 6,842 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

As of September 2021, MCBG has donated 51,651 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.