Shared learning is also an
The organization has clearly seized those opportunities, expanding con- siderably in recent years. For example, when the land previously occupied by South Coast Farms became available in 2018, the city approached The Ecol- ogy Center, which subsequently took it over, successfully employing the same permaculture principles established on its existing three-quarter-acre lot. “For many months, we just observed,” Zaidman says, adding that observation is “the first principle of permaculture.” After all, a less-than-one-acre garden designed for educational purposes and
Luckily, there’s offer at The Ecology Center’s farm more to stand than just tomatoes. During the pandemic, when the public began to realize the fragility of the food system — exacerbated by heightened food insecurity and shortages —
Center, and regenerative agriculture at large, work to honor the indigenous stewardship of the land. At The Ecology Center, board member Adelia Sandoval — a spiritual overseer and cultural director for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians/Acjachemen Nation — helps guide the organization’s vision and intention. “We work hard to promote culture over convenience” and “values
Clockwise from top: The Ecology Center is a community hub with regular programming including screenings of related films like “Kiss the Ground.” The Campesino Café serves breakfast and lunch with almost every ingredient sourced directly from the Center. Members of the farm crew start seeds for fall. The historic 148-year- old Congdon house has served many purposes but now doubles as office space and a gallery. The 600-square-foot farm stand offers farm-fresh produce and a host of other regenerative products.
important part of the relationship between The Ecology Center and the Acjachemen, an indigenous
people of California who called the area home for
a 28-acre produc- tion farm are very different. “They share similar el- ements from an operations and strategic stand- point, but are more different than they are alike,” Zaid- man says. “We
interest in The Ecology Center’s locally grown, seasonal produce and goods went through the roof. Prior to 2020, The Ecology Center’s humble CSA served around 50 to 75 subscribers who came in for their weekly and biweekly boxes; in March 2020, the number of subscribers surged to 750. CSA subscriptions have tapered down since — an intentional move on The Ecology Center’s part to encourage more customers to frequent its 600-square- foot farm stand, which continues to net major revenue (sales top $4 million a year, according to Zaidman) and exposure for the organization. Beyond the produce that The Ecolo- gy Center sells, the eco village places an emphasis on education through its creative offerings. Artists and chefs, both local and from afar, have flocked to The Ecology Center to contribute to
have participated in The Ecology Cen- ter’s Community Table event, where visiting chefs create dinner experienc- es using produce grown on-site. Artists including Cody Hudson, Jason Wood- side, and Jeff Canham have all show- cased art around The Ecology Center in the form of murals, rotating gallery in- stallations, and more. “We view artists and chefs as key collaborators in this conversation,” Zaidman says. “They are the culture holders, and we want to connect and engage with them deeply. We want to learn from them and then share our learnings.” Shared learning is also an important part of the relationship between The Ecology Center and the Acjachemen, an indigenous people of California
over value,” Zaidman says, which align with “many of the same long-standing beliefs of the Acjachemen people.” As it honors the past, The Ecology Center is also looking to the future with its sights set on expansion. The farm is in the process of renovating its Campesino Café, which opened in July 2023. Campesino — which is Spanish for farmer and refers to being of the land — serves breakfast and lunch five days a week, sourcing almost every ingredient directly from the Center itself. The expansion includes plans to build an outdoor kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven. There are also plans to construct a flower shop
generations long before any sort of development there. Many of the methods adopted by The Ecology Center, and regenerative agriculture at large, work to honor the indigenous stewardship of the land.
knew from the very, very beginning that in order to be sustainable, not just environmentally sustainable, but eco- nomically, this operation needed to shift its business model from wholesale, monoculture operations toward a diver- sified, direct-to-community farm,” he adds, speaking of the larger farm that The Ecology Center took over. “Instead of packaging in plastic and shipping to whatever grocery store you can, every-
thing we grew we wanted to go out the front door,” he says. “To make that feasible, we needed to diversify the offering in order to meet the community. If we had a farm stand that only sold toma- toes, nobody would show up.”
the space. For ex- ample, Chef Aar- on Zimmer of San Juan Capistrano’s La Vaquera and Alice Waters, the founder of Berke- ley’s Chez Panisse,
who called the area home for generations long before any sort of development there. Many of the methods adopted by The Ecology
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