Full Circle Farm Urban Agriculture Research & Demonstration Project is Cutting Edge

Group and Individual Volunteer Opportunities Available.

While urban agriculture has been around as long as cities have, we have given it relatively little focus or study as a society. Urban Agriculture is more important than ever, considering that the majority of the world’s population now lives in cities. Full Circle Farm is committed to advancing the cause of urban agriculture. Our Urban Agriculture Research & Demonstration Project champions important changes in our food system – and provides opportunities for hundreds of volunteers to engage in this important work. Your support is needed to develop urban agriculture methods and models so that urban food production and the study and application of urban agriculture can continue to advance and receive the support it needs to thrive.

Full Circle Farm invites you to support our cutting edge Urban Agriculture Research & Demonstration Project. Become a member of the Human Tractor Society, a new network of people committed to intensive food production in urban environments. This vital work introduces you to biologically and human intensive urban agriculture and the Modified Raised Bed System (MRBS), both featured in our quarter acre research and demonstration project at Full Circle Farm. The project is under the leadership of Wolfram Alderson, Executive Director of Full Circle Farm, and Jacob Morton, Urban Agriculture Specialist, who is responsible for managing this essential aspect of our work. To arrange for group or individual volunteering opportunities, please contact Jacob at jacob@fullcirclesunnyvale.org.

This project also offers longer term internship opportunities.

Examples of Key Activities:

-  Construction of Wide Raised Beds for intensive food production using the Modified Raised Bed System (MRBS).

-  Seedling propagation & management – watering, fertilizing, pest management, hardening-off, transplanting.

-  Soil testing, data collection.

-  Development of prototype methods and tools.

-  Volunteer management and supervision of volunteers through creative employment of social networks, including our very own “Human Tractor Society.”

-  Fertility building, including composting, mulching, manufacture of bio-char and indigenous organisms, etc.

Educational Opportunities:

-  Learn state of the art urban agriculture based upon biologically and human Intensive urban agriculture methods, including the Modified Raised Bed System, a methodology pioneered at Full Circle Farm.

-  Develop skills in crop planning and planting, including seeding calculations, seed collection/acquisition, seasonal crop rotations, direct seeding, succession-based planting schedule, and companion planting.

-  Crop data collection, including cost-benefit analysis, sale and marketing, and record keeping. Help to quantify urban agriculture in distinct units of measurement.

-  Learn how to transform and create new topsoil, doubling your soil and crop productivity.

-  Learn about the required materials, tools and methods of biologically and human intensive urban agriculture.

-  Learn about the power of borders and multi-level perennial plantings.

-  Learn to identify and nourish soil assets, such as worms, mycelium, and other macro- and micro- organisms.

-  Learn how to develop highly productive food production methods that utilize non-traditional sources of fertility, such as recycled wood chips, indigenous microorganisms and various sources of urban “waste.”

Work Days:

Monday, Wednesday, Saturday 10:00am – 2:00pm (dates and hours are flexible).

For more information please contact Jacob Morton by emailing jacob@fullcirclesunnyvale.org.

Reference: MRBS – Ramial Wood Chips V.8

Here are some photos of recent volunteer events: