Homeless Garden Project

Come out to the farm for our Sustain Supper tomorrow! Hear from Crystal, a member of our job training program, as she shares her journey of finding community, purpose, and resilience through learning new skills - and growing beautiful vegetables and flowers along the way. Get your tickets now and join us for a special evening on the farm!

Tickets: https://bit.ly/SustainSupperJune2026

“It’s a beautiful world. We need to do everything we can to make it more beautiful for everyone around us.” - Oliver Tree

We are extremely sad to hear about the passing of Santa Cruzian, Oliver Tree Nickell. Oliver was not only a creative musician and artist, but someone with a passion for learning about people and their experiences. He cared for not only his immediate community, but for the world.

We are so grateful that he chose to support us at his benefit concert at the Rio Theater in 2021. He saw the unhoused community growing in his hometown and decided to do what he could to combat it.

The world should listen to Oliver’s words and be inspired by his passion for life and humanity.
Our hearts are with the Nickell family.
May Oliver rest in peace

This photo was taken by Helana Michelle at the benefit event Oliver Tree and 101.7 The Beach hosted at the Rio Theater.

We were honored to have Chef Estevan (of Studio Estepan) visit our farm and pick some of our fresh strawberries! He will be utilizing HGP strawberries in his delicious Crème Fraiche Cake as well as using our keynote speaker Farmer Mai's Sonora Flour. To learn more and buy tickets click this link: https://bit.ly/SustainSupperJune2026

Farmer Mai stewards over 100 varieties of climate-adapted, heirloom grains from around the globe to assure that communities are able to have access to the grains that have sustained their peoples throughout history. For example, one of the grains that will be featured in our supper is Sonora wheat, one of the first wheats in the Americas and what was used in the very first flour tortillas. In a talk for the Wellbeing project, Farmer Mai described its flavor as, “sweet corn and cream.”

In that same talk, Mai explains: “planting food isn't just an agricultural act. It's a political one, a spiritual one, an ancestral one. Because here's the thing. When we preserve plant diversity, we preserve cultural diversity. The more kinds of food we grow, the more kinds of people can taste home again.”

To hear Farmer Mai speak and experience flavors of some of the heritage grains that they grow join us at our Sustain Supper on June 20th! https://bit.ly/SustainSupperJune2026

Join us at our Sustain Supper on June 20th: a farm-to-table dinner by renowned chefs! Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/events/956622050566787/

✨This Saturday!!!✨Come on down to the farm for a free clothing swap, free salad, and a bunch of fun workshops!

Saturday, June 13th — 10am - 2pm
HGP Farm, Shaffer Rd., Santa Cruz, CA

Grab your tickets today to the Sustain Supper to celebrate as a community with this delicious menu from Chefs Andrea Mollenauer and Estevan Silva. Your ticket supports individuals transforming their lives through our transitional employment program!
Click this link to learn more and buy tickets: https://bit.ly/SustainSupperJune2026

Peas, Love, and Pride!

We had a blast walking in the Santa Cruz Pride Parade this weekend - celebrating love, community, and inclusion! It was a joy to hand out flowers and connect with our vibrant community, spotting familiar CSA members, reconnecting with former social work interns, and sharing smiles with staff and supporters along the route. We’re proud to stand in solidarity and support.

Homelessness disproportionately affects the LGBTQIA+ community: an estimated 28% of LGBTQ+ youth and 40% of transgender adults have experienced homelessness in their lifetimes.* This is why inclusive spaces and support matter.

Pride t-shirts are available now at Homeless Garden Project stores - wear your support with pride!

*Source: UCLA Williams Institute, 2021

🚨🚨 NEXT SATURDAY‼️‼️

Free clothing swap, free workshops, and a free farm salad! Come to the HGP farm next Saturday, June 13th anytime from 10am - 2pm for a fun day in the sun to celebrate Pride Month!

Bring any clothes you don’t wear anymore and pick out some new (old) ones! You can also learn how to make bouquets, do basic bike maintenance, or pick strawberries!

At 1pm, our farm manager Adam will lead a plant walk around the farm, showing you all the cool mallows, nettles and more that grow in the area 😊

Share this with your friends and feel free to comment or DM if you have any questions!

Hear from our intern’s experience in her time at the Homeless Garden Project! ♥️