Hayes Valley Farm: from freeway to food forest

Fixing nitrogen in the soil with an initial crop of fava beans. Hayes Valley Farm, 2010
Shaped berms and the greenhouse at Hayes Valley Farm. Laguna Street at Oak.
Freeway Food Forest and a garden of signs at Hayes Valley Farm in San Francisco
Freeway Food Forest at Hayes Valley Farm, looking East towards San Francisco’s Civic Center.
Artist Suzanne Husky created the “Owl” structure at Hayes Valley Farm.
Farm Film Night at Hayes Valley Farm
The Hayes Valley Farm seed library, created onsite by artist Suzanne Husky, with seeds from the San Francisco Seed Library, neighbors, & community members.
Hayes Valley Farm berms. San Francisco
Sheetmulching the Oak street slope with local materials. Hayes Valley Farm, 2010

Grow community.

San Francisco – From 2010-2013, thousands of people came to garden, work, and play at the place we called Hayes Valley Farm. Within six months we had grown our own soil, planted a field of fava beans, built a greenhouse, and raised bees.

Hayes Valley Farm changed us and taught us about the nature of change. We continue to explore what’s possible today. From creating community gardens to building partnerships and practicing shared governance models, we hope to inspire new collaborations.

The project began in January 2010, when San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development gave community members, artists, educators and permaculture designers an interim-use lease at 450 Laguna Street to activate the 2.2. acre lot for green space. The empty lot at Laguna Street and Fell was under the old 101 freeway on-ramp, which had been structurally damaged in the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The lot was slated to be developed into condominiums within a few years. Learn more about the history of Hayes Valley Farm, the plants we grew, and the events and activities we stewarded (over 100 projects within three years).

Photos by Zoey Kroll, Hayes Valley Farm, Chris Martin, and participants in the Photo Adventure Club