Explore: Hayes Valley Farm

Discover a Unique Urban Community Farm with the Family

In the heart of San Francisco, next to performing arts institutions, trendy restaurants, and major street and freeway intersections sits a 2.2-acre community farm and urban agricultural education and research project. The Hayes Valley Farm takes up a whole city block bordered by Oak, Octavia, Fell, and Laguna Streets and is a shining example of community greening by adults and kids.

The gates around the farm are decorated by laminated children’s drawings and the farm invites children to lend their green thumbs.  Tour the farm with the kids on Sunday or Thursday afternoons when it is open to the public and check out the fava beans planted to treat nitrogen levels in the soil and the Freeway Food Forest, a container garden of 150 potted fruit trees and 1,500 vegetable seedlings.  Better yet, come ready to volunteer with your older children and take home some fruits and vegetables as your reward!

The farm goes one step further in its mission to offer a community garden and education to children through Magic Mondays for Kids.  Every Monday, any group of children can schedule a field trip to enjoy a day of activities, classes, and even a picnic lunch on the farm.  Depending on the age and interests of your group, the staff at Hayes Valley Farm will tailor a visit to suit your needs.  Visit the web site to learn more about children’s programming and pricing.

Make a whole day of family-friendly activities by visiting the farm then heading to nearby Hayes Street.  To find the best spots in the neighborhood to visit, check out our article about Hayes Valley here.

Hayes Valley Farm, Entrance at 450 Laguna St., San Francisco, Open: Sundays, 12:30 pm – 4:30 p.m. (Site tour at 1:00pm), Thursdays, 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Site tour at 3:00pm)

—Sarah K. Choi