Vegetable Garden and Orchard
The organic demonstration Vegetable Garden at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens was created by staff and our dedicated group of volunteers in the early 2000s. This five-acre garden has a mix of annual and perennial vegetables, medicinal herbs, edible herbs, plants used for dyeing fibers and fabrics (in partnership with Pacific Textile Arts), fruit trees, and flowering plants that attract beneficial insects. Our mild climate enables us to grow and harvest vegetables suitable for the cool coast year-round. Beneficial techniques in soil building, plant selection, and natural pest control help us maintain this organic demonstration garden without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
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.
Twice a week, each week, our staff and 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 60,000 pounds of fresh produce over the past nine years (2013-2022)! 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.
2023 Food Bank Donations TOTAL: 3,858 pounds
January – 64 pounds
February – 55 pounds
March – 231 pounds
April – 228 pounds
May – 409 pounds
June – 750 pounds
July – 577 pounds
August – 713 pounds
September – 689 pounds
October –
November –
As of August 2023, MCBG has donated 64,150 pounds over the past 9 years!
Food Bank Donations – Annual Totals:
2022 – 7,475 pounds
2021 – 7,922 pounds!!!
2020 – 7,594 pounds
2019 – 6,396 pounds
2018 – 6,469 pounds
2017 – 6,115 pounds
2016 – 5,620 pounds
2015 – 7,116 pounds
2014 – 6,274 pounds
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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