The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens is a California non-profit organization that was established in 1997 to preserve and operate Fairview Gardens, the historic farm where our products are grown. Founded in 1895, Fairview Gardens is considered by some to be the oldest organic farm in southern California, and is now preserved in perpetuity through an agricultural conservation easement. The Center is an internationally respected model for small-scale urban food production, agricultural preservation, and farm-based education.



Fairview Gardens is situated in the midst of a growing suburban community in coastal southern California, surrounded on all sides by tract homes, shopping malls, and suburban thoroughfares. As a highly visible agricultural parcel in a dense suburban environment, Fairview Gardens plays a unique role in the community, providing its neighbors with food, educational and cultural events, open space and a connection to the land. The farm also demonstrates the economic viability of small farm operations, and the potential of small, regional farms to feed their communities.



On our twelve and a half acres, we produce a hundred different fruits and vegetables, feed approximately five hundred families, and employ over twenty people. We also nourish the community in less tangible ways, through cooking and gardening classes, workshops, farm festivals, tours, lectures, apprenticeships, and outreach and consultation to schools and communities nationwide.



Our mission is to preserve the agricultural heritage of this 100-year-old farm; provide the local community with artisanal quality organically grown fruits and vegetables; demonstrate the economic viability of sustainable agricultural methods for small farm operations; research and interpret the connections between food, land, and community well being; and nurture the human spirit through educational programs and public outreach both on and off the farm.