Welcome Back!

Before the pandemic, corporate groups regularly volunteered at Alemany Farm as a way to foster team-building and give back to the local community. Getting your hands dirty helping to grow food is about as direct and rewarding as it gets. So it is with great excitement that Friends of Alemany Farm welcomes small company groups back onsite for team building workdays! Gather up to 20 colleagues to enjoy an outdoors, in-person service-learning experience at San Francisco’s largest nonprofit food production site. 

  • Group size: Up to 20 (as of September 2022).
  • Group type: Adults only. Student groups high school aged or younger are encouraged to email us to inquire about your visit.
  • Dates / times: Flexible; Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are available from 1-5PM; Fridays from 1-4.
  • Activities: We will start with an educational tour and orientation to the farm, then get our hands in the dirt flipping compost, sowing seeds, preparing garden beds, and planting vegetables; we are able to accommodate all levels of energy and ability. Everyone will harvest produce to take home at the end of the day.

We are also offering ongoing virtual corporate events for the duration of the pandemic: Spend an educational hour with Alemany Farmers to learn more about the site, the Friends’ mission, take a virtual tour, play trivia, win prizes, and participate in an open Q&A! We can generally host virtual workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (though, again, these windows are flexible).

To arrange your farm visit or virtual farm experience:

Schedule your visit at least two weeks in advance by emailing us at community.gardeners@gmail.com. (See details below under “Planning Your Visit.”)

Event Sponsorship & Charitable Giving:

This is an especially impactful time to support Alemany Farm for two reasons: First, there is just so much to do, and we have needed your helping hands onsite since last March. Second, and equally important: Friends of Alemany Farm relies on the financial contributions of organized visiting groups. We estimate that FOAF lost about one third of its annual operating budget in 2022-21 due to COVID-related cancellations. 

Donations are necessary to keep the farm running. In particular, gifts from corporate giving programs form a significant portion of our annual budget, so we encourage all corporate groups to make a donation to the farm as part of their visit. Donation checks should be made out to our fiscal sponsor, Earth Island Institute, with “Friends of Alemany Farm” written in the memo line. Donation guidelines are available upon request.

Planning Your Visit:

Contact us via email at least two weeks in advance at community.gardeners@gmail.com. Please provide the following information in your email inquiry:

  1. Name or affiliation of your group, and your name and contact info (as the representative of your group)
  2. Number of people to visit the farm in your group, and their general ages
  3. Date and times your group proposes to visit the farm

If you do not receive a reply within 5 days after you send your email, please feel free to send us a follow-up email reminding us of your group’s proposed visit.

Typical Workday:

When you come to one of our volunteer workdays as part of a group, we want you to have a great “Alemany Farm” experience. For this reason, we ask that your group arrive promptly at the beginning of the workday, follow the “What to Bring” instructions (see below), and that your group stay to help with the work we will be doing that day. At the very beginning of the workday, we will provide your group an orientation tour to the Farm and to the work that will be done that day by volunteers (including your group).

On the weekends we focus on the row crop production area and compost. On weekdays, in addition to row crop production, we’re also on the hillside, focusing on veggie production, orchard care, and water management. Depending upon the season, typical work activities include weeding or weed cutting, digging or trenching, mulching, composting, plant and seed planting, pruning, terracing, wheelbarrow hauling, laying irrigation and watering, building garden structures, and harvesting.

What to Bring:

  1. Face mask (masks are recommended when working in close proximity to others)
  2. Water Bottle
  3. Hat
  4. Sturdy Shoes
  5. Jacket with layered clothing underneath
  6. Sunscreen
  7. Snacks
  8. A bag (to bring home some produce)

**Travel light! The farm is an open public space and we have no secure storage for bags. Leave valuables at home and be mindful of your personal belongings, as you would in any park setting.

Permits (Not currently applicable, as of January 2022)

In accordance with policy of the SF Recreation and Parks department, any group visit of 25 or more to Alemany Farm requires (1) 30 days’ advance notice, and (2) a permit.

To request the required permit, please send us an email (at community.gardeners@gmail.com) not less than 30 days before the date your group proposes to visit Alemany Farm. Once we confirm that we can host your group on the proposed date, we will give you directions for completing the RPD permit which you can do online or over the phone.

Directions:

By BART: Glen Park is the closest BART station. It is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute bike to the farm. When exiting the station, cross Bosworth St, then turn right on Bosworth and follow it under the overpass. Bear left and follow Bosworth several blocks to Mission St. Cross Mission and head east on Murray St for 3 blocks until it ends at the entrance to Saint Mary’s Rec Center. Just inside the park entrance gate take an immediate right and follow the paved drive down the hill past the playground and the dog run, then bear left and down the walkway ramp to Alemany Blvd. The pedestrian gate to Alemany Farm is a few feet to the left.

Via bus from the Mission/Downtown SF: Take a 14 or 49 bus southbound on Mission Street to Bosworth (several blocks past 30th St). Cross Mission to Murray Street, then proceed along Murray and continue to the farm as described above.

You may search Google Maps for “Alemany Farm” to make your own route by bike, bus, or car.