Muir High School's campus-based urban farm will have an open house Thursday at PUSD headquarters
by TImothy Rutt
Existing as it does on a highly-travelled street surrounded by housing and businesses, Muir High School in Pasadena is nothing but a modern urban school in northwest Pasadena.
But go the back of the school -- way back, following acres of asphalt roadway. The 1.5 acre plot of ground we’re visiting used to hold modular classroom trailers. But today -- thanks to work from students and an enthusiastic group of volunteers and master gardeners -- Muir High School is running a thriving urban farm.
And the project, called Muir Ranch, is a productive farm, too. It grows fruits, herbs, flowers, and vegetables, some of which can be purchased every Wednesday from the Altadena Farmer’s Market at Loma Alta Park.
Tomorrow (Thurs., July 19) Muir Ranch will hold an open house at Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) headqurters, Del Mar Blvd. at Oak Knoll Ave. in Pasadena. In addition to free samples, Muir students will sell fruits and vegetables and take monthly subscriptions to their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. CSA subscribers can get fresh produce and/or flowers every week from Muir Ranch and other partnered farms. The produce can be picked up at PUSD headquarters on Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 PM, or at Muir High School, 1905 Lincoln Ave., on Mondays from 9 AM to noon.
During the school year, the ranch offers educational opportunities for the school’s three academies (Engineering & Environmental Science, Business & Entrepreneurship, and Arts, Entertainment & Media). Students can also earn community service and intenship credits by working on the farm, where they can apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to solve problems of organic farming, irrigation, and running a business.
After the school year ends in June, Muir Ranch becomes a summer job for students who are involved in the planting, planning, and harvesting on the ranch. According to Erika Redke, Muir CSA manager, five of the students have received internships from Pasadena Water and Power to work on the ranch’s irrigation system. Other students are funded directly from CSA sales.
During a recent visit to the ranch, Wesley Howard, director of PUSD Food Services (and Muir class of 1970), was taken on a tour of the ranch to see how the produce could be integrated into the district’s lunch menu.
The ranch was started in the summer of 2011. Doss Jones, a certified master gardener (Blair ’66), was one of the ones who got it started. After a career that included the Peace Corps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, public health, and working as a professional dietician, she was not one to take it easy, and was one of the ones who agitated to create the garden behind the school.
Another key figure is called Mud Baron. Another certified master gardener, Pasadena resident Baron works in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s science center. He signed up to volunteer in the garden in November, 2011, and helped it grow from just a few beds to a thriving farm.
Along with other master gardeners like Nico Anduze shepherding the farm and the farmers, the project has also received support from Shirley Barrett from the PUSD facilities department, among other volunteers and administrators.
"The mission of Muir Ranch is to teach students important business and life skills and provide them with meaningful employment and improve access to fresh, affordable and locally grown produce for the community," said PUSD Superintendent Jon R. Gundry in a press release.
Subscriptions to the CSA are sold on a monthly basis as a full share (enough for 4-6 people) for $100 per month and a half share (enough for up to 3 people) for $60 per month. All boxes contain an assortment of 7-10 vegetables, fruit and herb types. Subscriptions to fresh cut flower shares are also available for $10, $15 and $25 per week, depending on the size of the bouquet. 50% of all purchases are tax deductible because of the partnership between Muir Ranch CSA and the Pasadena Education Foundation.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/MuirRanch. To subscribe, send an email tojohnmuircsa@gmail.com or visit the Muir Ranch CSA distribution locations: Thursdays at PUSD headquarters or Mondays at Muir High School.
