Meeting with Hayes Valley Farm

This past weekend I met with a few members of the Hayes Valley Farm (HVF). I described to them the project I've been tasked with in DAI 505 and opened up the discussion to their particular needs. I told them that my initial problem statement reflected the need of HVF to attract more volunteers and donors. Through this conversation, it came to light that the HVF will actually be closing within the next year, as they were only granted the plot of land where they reside for an interim period.

They mentioned a few other areas where my help might be more needed. The HVF will not end all together when the city reclaims the plot of land, but will instead be transitioning to a new space in the Western Addition, called the Buchanan Mall.

Buchanan Mall

The members expressed that with the transition will come a need to outreach to the community in that area. On top of this, all the resources currently housed at the HVF will not fit in the smaller area of the Buchanan Mall. Because of this they will need to communicate with other community gardens and farms in the area to see who can use the excess equipment they will be left with. An additional issue is keeping the energy level high at HVF to complete existing projects and begin new projects, which is somewhat waning with the impending closure.

Keys to Transition:

• Generating excitement and ownership among the existing community around Buchanan Mall
• Informing people about what will become available to them (ability to grow their own food and learn more about sustainable urban farming and permaculture)
• HVF to be a generator of energy for the transition in intangible and tangible ways (tangible forms including soil, seeds, physical resources)
  

Fears:

• Existing community will not be receptive
• Existing community will not care
• Existing community will be upset due to loss of parking spaces, etc.

Hopes:

• The community farm will be embraced by existing community

Realities of having a community farm in your backyard, as proven by HVF:

• Anyone can grow food
• It's possible to grow food anywhere
• It can be done in the Western Addition as it can be anywhere else

Challenges of having a community garden at Buchanan Mall:

• Space is not enclosed by fencing, as HVF is, which can lead to theft / vandalism
• Existing community is for the most part not involved as yet in permaculture projects and knowledge or interest of which does not currently exist in the culture of the Western Addition

Other areas of HVF that might be able to use my help:

• Further web site development (the current site is very well-done, but they have some ideas for expanding it)
  
• Finding ways to convey the HVF organizational/ governance structure to the community and outside world.

The members I spoke to are as follows:

Jessie Raeder: jessieraeder@gmail.com
Curtis Schofield: curtis@ram9.cc
Natasha Zuhur: nzuhur@gmail.com

The HVF has a Root Council which consists of a board of directors. They also have an Energy Consortium which is more concerned with managing resources and on-site management of the farm. There also exists a loose transition team that I may be able to join efforts with.

root-council@hayesvalleyfarm.com
energy-consortium@hayesvalleyfarm.com

I was also given contact information for Margaretha Haughwout (title needed) and have been in contact with her.

Next steps:

• Meet with Margaretha
• Talk to more people in the HVF organization
• Settle on one problem to address
• Research other community gardens, especially in areas where permaculture is not a part of the existing culture (West Oakland / OBUGs, Bayview Hunter's Point)
  
• Brainstorm design solutions

"Hope is not something you hear. Hope is not something you feel. Hope is something you Do."
- Curtis Schofield

Revised Problem & Purpose Statement

Problem Statement:

Hayes Valley Farm is a community driven farm that needs volunteers and donations to serve the community and encourage San Francisco residents to learn about sustainable ecological systems.

Purpose Statement:

The purpose of this study was to develop the necessary tools to attract the volunteers and donors necessary to continue to grow the farm.

Problem & Purpose Statements

I. Hayes Valley Farm

Problem Statement

The Hayes Valley Farm is a newly developed community garden (started in early 2010) which is in need of more volunteers and donations (of money and equipment) to be able to fulfill its mission “to serve as a community and agricultural hub encouraging San Francisco residents to connect with one another, grow their own food, and learn about sustainable ecological systems.”

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study was to develop the necessary tools to enable the Hayes Valley Farm to attract the volunteers and donors necessary to continue to grow the farm and reach the initial vision and mission of the Hayes Valley Farm organizers.

II. Starting a New Business

Problem Statement

When starting a new business, it is very difficult to know what types of legal steps need to be taken and in what order.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study was to develop the necessary tools to aid people in this process, a one-stop informational tool that would list the steps that need to be taken for starting a variety of types of businesses.

III. SF State Counseling Services

Problem Statement

The SF State Counseling Services are under-utilized because of the fact that many students either don’t know that these services exist, or don’t know that much of the fee is covered with the cost of their tuition.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study was to develop the necessary tools to increase the number of students utilizing SF State Counseling Services.

Bio

My name is Alisa Highfill and I decided to go back to school to finish up my bachelor's degree after having a couple of different careers (one being in web design). I've always been a creative person and decided to earn my degree in graphic design (Visual Communications) so that I could gain the tools I needed to be able to live a creative life.

Moments of true, creative inspiration are what drive me, as well as cultivating a feeling of connectedness and community. I have many outlets for creativity. Along with web and graphic design, I am also a weaver. I have a love for textiles and have done much work in this area, mostly weaving and macrame. I also love to dance and sing (though I can't do either very well), I just love the feeling of self-expression, in all forms.

Along with my Visual Communications major, I've also completed a minor in Middle East Islamic Studies. I love studying other religions, cultures and political systems. I particularly enjoy learning about Africa, Asia and Latin America. I'm interested in indigenous and ancient cultures much more so than western cultures. I find western cultures somewhat boring, probably because I was raised in one. I'm definitely drawn to things that are different than my own personal experience.

I love this picture of me even though it's very old, mostly because it shows an optimism and pure joy that I would ultimately like to embody in all moments of my life.



6 Key Words:

Creative
Dynamic
Open
Loving
Engaged (in life)
Deep