Growing Matters Garden Program

The Growing Matters Garden program provides hands-on learning opportunities for local youth and the larger community at our urban gardens.

Students put their hands in the soil and understand where their food comes from, how great it tastes right from the garden, and why growing organic is so important.

The Growing Matters Garden program currently has two garden sites. Our main site offers 6,000 square feet of growing space just north of Kalamazoo. Our second location is the Roots of Knowledge garden at Woodward Elementary School.

At both sites, we focus on growing vegetables (using sustainable, organic practices), but we also have areas for herbs, strawberries, and annual and native flowers.

A portion of the produce from our gardens is sold at the People's Food Co-op 100-mile Farmer's Market held Wednesdays, 3 to 7 p.m. May through Oct at the corner of Burdick and Cedar.

Community Volunteer Nights begin at the Growing Matters Garden

Interested in learning more about our urban educational gardening program? Come to the garden, lend a hand, meet new people, and learn more about our program and organic gardening at our community volunteer nights!

We will gather at the main garden site (2119 N Westnedge) every Wednesday evening, 6:30-8:00 pm, May through September.

Volunteer nights are kid/family friendly and open to all - feel free to bring friends, loved ones, and neighbors! If you are a master gardener, attending the volunteer night is a great way to earn your hours.

Growing Matters Garden Garners New Staff

Fair Food Matters has hired Erica Barajas as manager of its Growing Matters Garden.

Barajas earned a BA in Evolution and Ecology from the University of California, Davis, and an MA in Education from UC Santa Cruz. Previously, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia, where she managed an elementary school-based garden. Past experience also includes service as a high school teacher in Sacramento, CA, and a whitewater rafting guide.

In her role as Garden manager, Barajas will manage the gardens at both sites, set program and budget goals, assist in fundraising, hire and train garden staff and volunteers, create and implement educational workshops on garden-related topics, and coordinate the fall harvest.

Barajas was born and raised in Livermore, California. She and her husband Mark moved to Kalamazoo in 2009 so he could pursue graduate studies at Western Michigan University.