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 efforts,” he adds.
Meanwhile, back at the Farm, George guides us past the colorful flower and leafy vegetable beds, which include popular annuals such as garlic, onions, cucumbers, squash, melons, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, and up to the berry patches. From there, he walks us to the orchard planted with peaches, plums, apricots and more than 20 varieties of olives, and then heads back to the nursery, where tiny green leafy starts that have just pushed their way through the top of the soil are sheltered in a large greenhouse. All of these plants please George, who points out special ones and explains the ingredients in a good compost mix, one of the garden principles he’s learned while working here.
He’s one of the four interns — all from Marin — chosen for this first class of Arc San Francisco’s internship program at the Farm. Their tasks have included fall and winter planting, composting, tree pruning, seed sowing, repotting, weeding and cleaning farm tools. “They learn how to build healthy soil and how to propagate and cultivate annual row crops,” Gapinski says.
“They also start to memorize crop names and sowing strategies, how to harvest those crops, orchard management and more.” Additionally, the interns have also learned how to take public transportation to their job, how to be prepared to work on time and complete their assignments and manage their time sheets. They work three shifts for three days a week from November through July, under the helpful guidance of their Arc internship coordinator.
A new class of interns is set to start later this month and will continue through the end of July 2025. George, who has now been bitten by the gardening bug, hopes to be among those chosen for the next class. He’s created an edible garden at his own home in Novato.
“As a result of the internship, (George) has started volunteering his time for neighbors and the local church,” Frantz says. Interns are paid by Arc San Francisco, which is reimbursed by the Golden Gate Regional Center through its Paid Internship Program. Thus, the Farm gets much-needed garden help from adult interns and the interns earn money while learning new skills.
“The Arc interns come prepared every day with fantastic attitudes,” Gapinski says. “They are constantly pointing out how beautiful the Farm is, how proud they are of their work and the progress they have made. Their presence also helps boost the morale of other farm staff and students, because the ARC interns are able to assist with projects, which makes us more efficient and productive.
” Arc interns also volunteer their time at local nonprofits, including the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and pop-up food pantries. As the tour ends, George cheerfully reminds me to come back to visit the farm stand and to not miss the upcoming plant sale. How to shop The Farm is at 1800 Ignacio Blvd.
in Novato, just up the steps from the last parking lot. The farm stand is open from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Saturdays from July through October.
It is currently selling several varieties of plums, apples, strawberries, garlic, onions, shallots, chard, kale, cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash and olive oil, among other items. The plant sale will feature a variety of vegetables, annual and perennial flowers, herbs, natives and succulents, ranging in price from $3 to $12. They can be preordered online starting Aug.
22 for pickup on Aug. 30 and 31. Shoppers can pick up plants in person, without preordering, from 10 a.
m. to 2 p.m.
Sept 6 and 7. The Farm also offers a CSA program of 21 weekly boxes of six to 12 items for $700 a season. Items may include fruits, vegetables, tea blends, herbs or flowers.
Boxes may be picked up at the College of Marin’s Indian Valley campus. To join the waitlist, go to forms.office.
com/r/xZtP6AZEak . To take a garden class or workshop at the Farm, go to marincommunityed.augusoft.
net/info/landing/classes . To contact the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, call 415-883-2211, extension 8202, email [email protected] or go to www1.
marin.edu/ivofg . Show off If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.
Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.
PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O.
Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at [email protected]..
