Meadow Farm Community Land Trust
Growing Food and Building Community
by D. H. Shook
Nestled against the forest just outside of Fort Bragg sits the Meadow Farm Community Land Trust, founded as a non-profit 501(c)(3) intentional community in 2013 by the late Joanna Becker. Joanna purchased the 28-acre property in 2010 and decided to form her new home into a non-profit land trust, dedicated in perpetuity to community enhancement. Joanna’s vision was to provide a place for people to live, one not based on a level of affluence but instead on a love of the land and willingness to participate in a cooperative gardening community. It was created to be a place to welcome those at risk and those who want to be a part of a sustainable community. As a non-profit land trust, Meadow Farm is under the guidance of a board of directors that still maintains these tenets. Meadow Farm Community remains open to new ideas and moves forward with their vision to be a dynamic, positive force for self-sufficiency, environmental awareness, and social change.
On a glorious June day, Sojourna Lee raced up on her bicycle to greet me, with two eager dogs in tow and ready for a tour of the garden and orchard. Sojourna is a resident and Secretary of the Board at Meadow Farm Community Land Trust since 2014. She administers the daily activities of the farm and connects visitors, volunteers, and residents with the overarching vision and mission of the non-profit. Her infectious smile and easy way were instantly welcoming.
The first stop on the tour was the common house, a classic Mendocino-style building that serves as a communal kitchen and gathering place. We enjoyed a drink of excellent well water as we listened to the story of Joanna Becker and her vision for Meadow Farm. As the story began to unfold, Sojourna explained the community’s ethos: “We are all in this together, same boat, same planet. It is time we learn to work together. We all have different ideas about things, so we had to develop a decision making process. Building and maintaining this community has been a long ride on the learning curve.”
Meadow Farm is a permanent home for just four people at this time, though there are hopes for more folks to find their home there. Meadow Farm operates on a shoe-string budget, with donations and volunteer help providing signif-icant support. Dozens of volunteers from Americorp and Workaways, as well as local volunteers, have contributed and been welcomed. Right now there are five volunteers in residence who stay in cabins and share an outdoor kitchen and hang-out spot. When COVID-19 hit, projects around the world were suspended, and as a result, both a volunteer who had been in Nepal with the Peace Corp and an Outward Bound leader in training found their ways to Meadow Farm and became resident volunteers there.
Above the house, a young dwarf fruit and nut orchard overlooks the fenced one-acre garden and greenhouse that is the heart of Meadow Farm. Gardens are always a work in progress, and this one is no exception. The asparagus beds and artichoke baskets have been lined with hardware cloth to discourage the pesky gophers. An experimental patch of quinoa is maturing. Borage and nasturtium blossoms in vibrant blue and orange are slated to adorn the plates at local restaurants. Baby beets, okra, and sunflowers are just getting started, while the lettuce is at its peak for the summer. There will be days of canning in the big kitchen this fall.
Along the northern border of the garden, a hedgerow has recently been planted. An old farming tradition that is finding its way back into the modern lexicon of gardening, a hedgerow serves as habitat to pollinators and birds. Looking outside the fenced garden, a soil-enriching cover-crop of mixed grasses and legumes, planted with help from Americorp volunteers, is thriving. The two dogs chase away a curious deer while a bird swoops in to snatch a strawberry. All is well in the garden.
Honoring the community spirit tenets, Meadow Farm regularly donates fresh produce from the garden to the Fort Bragg Food Bank. Amanda Friscia, Executive Director of the Fort Bragg Food Bank, enthusiastically attested, “Meadow Farm is one of our best sources of local produce.” Last year, they donated around 1,500 pounds of produce.
There are multiple ongoing projects at Meadow Farm. A little house (16’ x 24’) has gotten a solid start through donations, and the buildings and cabins are all off-grid systems that require regular upkeep and maintenance. Sojourna is collaborating with a forester to label trees and plants on their forest trail for educational purposes. Robert Deutch, another board member, mentioned their ongoing commitment to soil and land stewardship, citing an HSP (Healthy Soil Program) grant that was awarded and applied to a soil restoration project on the land three years ago.
The farm also contributes to the Community Emergency Response Project. Sojourna, a retired RN, explained that the remote nature of the Mendocino Coast impacts its connection to the supply chain by very twisty roads, all with multiple bridges, making mutual aid in case of emergency a necessity. With this in mind, the Meadow Farm Community Emergency Response Project is collecting first aid supplies, sleeping bags, and cots to have on hand in case they are needed. In the past summer of fires, Meadow Farm served as a sanctuary for fire and smoke refugees. The Meadow Farm Emergency Response Project has joined the Hubs and Routes network, which is a Mendocino-based group that provides maps and information pertinent to emergency situations.
All of these projects reflect the organization’s overarching goal of building community. Community is something of a buzzword recently, as so many of us cast an eye towards the echo of a more simple time. When it comes to the goals of living sustainably, working together, and practicing responsible land-stewardship, the folks at Meadow Farm walk the talk. This is how we change the world. One farm at a time.
Find out more at MeadowFarm.org. The organization is currently seeking board members.
Garden with greenhouse photo by Clara Shook. Other photos courtesy of Meadow Farm.
A long-time Mendonesian, Deborah Shook lives in a cottage on the edge of the forest. She takes pleasure playing in her garden and tackling a culinary challenge.