In a single day, October 10, 350 San Francisco landscapes, balconies and community spaces will be transformed into bountiful food gardens, bringing local food production into our 7 square miles. We believe that kitchen gardens will help us achieve a 10% cut in carbon emissions, in support of 350.org and climate solutions. In addition to creating food gardens and reducing carbon emissions, we will be building soil, saving water, creating habitat, promoting greywater and low-impact development, and educating and empowering neighborhoods and supporting local businesses. This can be as simple as planting a fruit tree or a tomato plant in a pot. But it is also an opportunity to create innovative gardens in back yards, patios, school and church grounds, and business premises. The day we will be documented through the Hayes Valley Farm’s Photo Adventure Club and a bike tour of garden actions. At the end of the day we will all meet to celebrate 350 Kitchen Garden Challenge at Hayes Valley Farm. The 350 Kitchen Garden Challenge was inspired in part by the 350.org global campaign to find and implement solutions to climate change and locally by the 350 Garden Challenge organized by Daily Acts and others in Sonoma County in May, 2010.
Kitchen Garden SF is made up of a core planning team of members of the San Francisco Permaculture Guild and volunteers from the San Francisco urban agriculture community.
For each food garden installed, the design is coordinated by permaculture designers from Kitchen Garden SF based on the owner/gardener’s goals. Where ever possible Kitchen Garden SF includes composting, fruit trees, greywater systems, fog catching, bee hives and poultry in the design. All KGSF gardens are organic, instead of pesticides or petroleum based fertilizers, we use compost, companion plants and other natural methods. Recycled and reused materials are used, such as free mulch and woodchips from Bayview Greenwaste, cardboard from nearby businesses, free manure from local horse stables, found pallets and seedlings started with shared seeds. The owner/gardener supplies additional materials or seedlings, if they are able. Often the largest expense comes from renting a truck to transport materials, if no donated truck can be found.
Kitchen Garden SF coordinates the materials, volunteers and tasks for installation day. Depending on the size and goal of the design and the amount of soil building needed, kitchen garden installations usually take more than one day. The installation day always includes a potluck party to celebrate.
Eventually Kitchen Garden SF will be a network of food gardens throughout San Francisco with a neighborhood resource centers located in every district.
REGISTER A GARDEN ACTION | VOLUNTEER TO HELP | DOCUMENT THE DAY | SPONSOR | LEARN MORE at
http://www.kitchengardensf.org/ 
