THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Case Study: Megan Hall, Growing Grounds Farm

Overview/History

Although Growing Grounds has been supplying plants for over 20 years, it was not until 2005 that The Land Conservancy started partnering with Growing Grounds. Growing Grounds Farm is a program of Transitions Mental Health Association, which offers proactive treatment for adults suffering from mental illness using a combination of horticultural therapy, vocational training and life skills development.

It all started when Mark Skinner, The Land Conservancy Restoration Manager, was introduced to Megan Hall, Growing Grounds Nursery Coordinator, while looking for a place to recycle used plant containers. Megan informed Mark that not only could Growing Grounds recycle the containers, but they could also grow native plants for future Land Conservancy projects. The Land Conservancy was so pleased with the quality of the plants that they worked out an agreement to buy native plants for restoration projects almost exclusively from Growing Grounds. Adding another dimension, Growing Grounds clients were invited to plant their greenhouse seedlings at actual restoration sites, giving these clients a greater sense of job purpose and an appreciation for The Land Conservancy's restoration mission.

he partnership between Growing Grounds and the Land Conservancy has continued to expand. Growing Grounds now harvests seeds from local sites and propagates them at their nursery for use at future Land Conservancy projects. This process creates a localized super-stock of native plants that have the best chance of surviving and thriving once planted.

Agency Collaboration

• Growing Grounds Farm

Property Description and Location

The first major project site to receive Growing Grounds plants was Black Lake Ecological Area on the Nipomo Mesa. Black Lake is one of seven freshwater lakes in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. The Land Conservancy owns Black Lake and is in the process of restoring nine acres of previously disturbed land back to native dune scrub habitat.

Growing Grounds has provided over 4000 plants for this restoration site alone. The first 1300 of those plants were planted by the Growing Grounds clients who helped propagate and grown those plants. Future plans involving Growing Grounds include seed harvesting, propagation and planting roughly 12,000 native plants at another south county restoration site.

The Growing Grounds Nursery is located on the corner of Orcutt Rd. and Johnson Ave. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes make up a vast ecosystem located in the southern coast of San Luis Obispo County and northern coast of Santa Barbara County.

Conservation Tools Used

• Nonprofit collaboration
• Restoration site planning & management
• Native plant seed collection & propagation
• Volunteer management

Our Goal

We wanted to build partnership to help both parties achieve their missions, providing The Land Conservancy with an affordable, quality local grower and generating business for Growing Grounds to fund their farming operation.

The Challenge

The challenge presented by this project was finding ways for two nonprofits with seemingly different mission to work together in a successful relationship that benefits both parties involved.

Special Considerations

The main consideration while working with Growing Grounds is providing them with enough time in advance to provide the large number of plants required by The Land Conservancy.

Results

A partnership has been created that helps both nonprofits achieve their goals. This partnership helps keep money within the non-profit organizations and ultimately within the local community. This symbiotic relationship also allows both parties involved to achieve their goals while providing assistance to another local nonprofit.