US (CA): Greenhouse would help Yolo farm program grow
But now the Woodland resident has a regular routine and paid work through a program called Farm to Mouth. A project of the Yolo County Care Continuum, Farm to Mouth provides job skills training – and a paycheck – for people with a major mental illness.
Farm to Mouth began in 2012 and has scraped along on grants, donations and support from farmers who occasionally volunteer their tractors and expertise. One key element, has been missing – a greenhouse, which would allow workers to start seeds in seeding trays.
“The greenhouse work is one of the most interesting and exciting parts of gardening, so I really want the clients to have the experience,” said Farm to Mouth coordinator Anna-Ruth Crittenden, 23, who studied sustainable agriculture and food systems at UC Davis.
Crittenden spends $40 per tray to rent space in a local greenhouse. Once the seeds become “starts,” she brings them to the farm for planting.
“If we had a greenhouse, it would open up a lot of possibilities for the clients and allow them to understand the full life cycle of the plants,” Crittenden said. “It would also be a big step toward having a more sustainable, closed-loop farming system because I wouldn’t have to drive somewhere to use someone else’s greenhouse.”
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