P.J. George, a Novato resident and Arc San Francisco intern at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, carefully plucks a cherry tomato off a plant he helps tend.
He pops it into his mouth on this warm day, and declares, “Mmm, it’s warm!” Walking a few steps further, he hands me a sun-ripened blackberry to try. It’s not only warm, but also wonderfully sweet. George is leading Jay Frantz, service manager of Arc San Francisco, and me on a tour around the the five-acre site, commonly referred to as the “Farm.
” Established in 2008, it’s managed by Tealy Gapinski, who oversees the care of all the ornamentals and produce grown on the property and sold at the Farm’s organic farm stand and seasonal plant sales. “The Farm was started to establish an educational and training resource in Marin County for folks interested in learning more about sustainable agriculture,” she says. “The Arc interns being here and learning about the Farm through hands-on activities and guidance helps us live out that mission.
” Arc San Francisco is an organization that helps people with intellectual or developmental disabilities throughout the Bay Area. “The mission is to partner with adults with developmental disabilities as they design their futures and transform our communities through lifelong learning and self-determination,” Frantz says. “Internships such as these provide our participants with a variety of job skills as well as the opportunity to be paid for their effor.