It might be a bit premature to announce a full blown partnership, but we're excited to let you know that talks are taking place, to schedule monthly visits for Manual Arts High School students at McGrath Family Farms this year! (Read more about the farm below.)
The ultra amazing Phil McGrath (note he's a surfer AND a farmer) invited us to visit the farm earlier this spring, to hear his thoughts about building a more formal educational program at the farm. When we arrived, we were excited to find a small posse of his family, friends and neighbors, who gave us an early indication of what a supportive community exists there.
The McGrath Family Farm community also includes a hard working and devoted crew of laborers who, when asked to consider the possibility of sharing work days with our students, were enthusiastic to share their time, skills and knowledge of the farming profession.
Phil often has school groups visit, but we clarified with him, we don't want be idle tourists on the farm. We want to come and build a working relationship. We want to get to the know the cycles of the farm and the food, and prepare our own healthy lunches while we are there. We hope to make McGrath family farms the rural arm to our healthy food community in South Los Angeles.
And hey, because we're the kind of people who to shoot for the moon - we're already talking about a sustainable food systems/surfing tour for Farmer Phil and our youth - to Costa Rica! Crazier things have happened.
McGrath Family Farms is an organic vegetable farm, established in 1871 by and Irish immigrant named Dominick. On the farms 300 acres on the ranch, Phil MGrath (Farmer Phil) grows an extensive array of seasonal vegetables. Year round vegetables grow on 24 acres with an additional 4 acres of strawberries and 17 acres of lemons.
McGrath Farms is located in Camarillo, CA just off Hwy101 and Central Avenue.
