Located in the heart of San Juan Capistrano, California, The Ecology Center is Southern California’s only Regenerative Organic Certified™ farm. Going beyond organic farming, The Ecology Center fosters a culture that gives more than it takes, using regenerative farming and the guiding concept of agroecology to steward farming practices that prioritize soil health, living wages for their farm workers, and a focus on animal welfare.
The non-profit organization started with humble beginnings in 2008 as a one-acre dirt lot, however, over the years, through a long-term lease agreement with the City of San Juan Capistrano, has expanded its footprint to a whopping 28 acres.
The center has welcomed more than 300,000 visitors who’ve volunteered at the farm, stopped at the Farm Stand, visited its Eco Tots outdoor classroom, and feasted with friends at Community Table dinners or the Campesino Café restaurant. The Ecology Center has also trained 150 farmers and another 150 culinary leaders through its apprenticeship program, and donated more than 100,000 pounds of food grown on the property to help fight food insecurity through its Nourishing Neighbors program.
Advisors to the institution include farm-to-table pioneer Alice Waters, as well as Samin Nostrat, author of the James Beard Award-winning, New York Times Bestselling cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
For more on The Ecology Center, visit theecologycenter.org
