• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Saturday, April 1, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
The Capistrano Dispatch
No Result
View All Result

The Ecology Center to Expand Operations

by Capo Dispatch
September 3, 2018 9:41AM
in EYE ON SJC, News
The Ecology Center to Expand Operations

The Ecology Center will be expanding its operations into an adjacent property following an approval by the city council on Tuesday, Aug. 21. Photo: File.

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Alex Groves 

The Ecology Center – a non-profit organization that encourages farming, sustainability and farm to table food – will be expanding its operations into a 27-acre farm property following a unanimous approval by the City Council during its Aug. 21 meeting.

The council approved an agreement allowing the nonprofit to take over operations of the adjacent city-owned Kinoshita farm site, previously managed by South Coast Farms, to continue farming there and eventually turn the site into a community-serving facility described as a “Transformative Community Farm.”

The site could have such amenities as an agricultural public park with a diversified farming plan, a city trail, a culinary farm and institute, special event facility, on-site public parking and a café.

According to a city staff report, the rising cost of water not only led South Coast farms to have difficulty maintaining its continued commercial farming operation, but also led to the farm owing roughly $300,000 in unpaid water costs.

The report notes that the owner of South Coast Farms and the neighboring Ecology Center had been in talks over the last year about how they could preserve the agricultural nature of the site, which “led to a new vision that incorporates crop growing into an expanded operation under the umbrella of a non-profit organization.”

Under the agreement, the ecology center would pay the city $25,000 to operate the site and an additional $8,000 toward the water debt each year, for a total payment of $99,000 within three fiscal years.

The cost of operating the site would increase to $35,000 and the payment for the water debt would increase to $10,000 in subsequent years.

Ecology Center Executive Director Evan Marks told the City Council that the organization was looking into dry farm agriculture for the site, including grapes, olives and walnuts.

He said he envisioned growing crops around an “experiential framework” where people could pick their own crops on site and learn about what’s being grown.

He said he also envisioned the site become a place where future farmers could come and learn the craft of farming.

“Our commitment is to continue to keep that legacy of agriculture happening, such that’s its successful to every one of the residents within our community and it becomes a flagship to the city of San Juan Capistrano as a destination for those near and far,” he said.

Sometime this fall, the council is expected to look at initiating a specific plan amendment that would allow the Ecology Center to go forward with its plan of creating the “Transformative Community Farm” concept and the buildings and structures that would be on site.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: Derek ReeveEvan MarksGardeningKerry FergusonPam Pattersonproducesan juanSan Juan Capistranosergio fariasSouth Coast FarmsThe Ecology Center
ShareTweetPin

Capo Dispatch

Related Posts

River Street Marketplace Announces Slate of Food, Retail Tenants

River Street Marketplace Announces Slate of Food, Retail Tenants

March 31, 2023
Net Energy Metering Program to Change April 14

Net Energy Metering Program to Change April 14

March 31, 2023
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Matcha

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Matcha

March 31, 2023
At the Movies: ‘A Good Person’ Isn’t Necessarily a Good Movie

At the Movies: ‘A Good Person’ Isn’t Necessarily a Good Movie

March 31, 2023
Next Post
A Lesson in Steer Roping: Shea Center Summer Campers Learn New Skill from the Cowboys of Rancho Mission Viejo

A Lesson in Steer Roping: Shea Center Summer Campers Learn New Skill from the Cowboys of Rancho Mission Viejo

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

The Dispatch Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get The Dispatch delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Current Issue
  • Contact Us
  • San Clemente Times
  • Dana Point Times
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.