California Native Garden Foundation

HERE'S OUR STORY:



Urgent update: Our landlord has filed an eviction notice, but is willing to negotiate if we can come up with a minimum of $20,000 by the end of the year. We have already received so much support - Thank you!  Unfortunately, we need donations again, because our rent continues to accumulate.  Alrie Middlebrook will schedule a free garden consultation (or, if we keep the gardens, a certificate for a month of free classes or a free party/event at our beautiful space) for anybody who can donate $1,000.

We had hoped that the gardens were saved when we began our partnership with San Jose City College. Although that plan is still unfolding, apparently government institutions move at the speed of government institutions.  We hope this will be the last time we need to hit you up, but it would be tragic if our gardens are demolished now, when we are so close to the institutional partnerships that will provide long-term solutions. Your donations are tax-deductible, and will be used responsibly.

We believe that we have the key to providing youth with tools to fight climate change, and to building a vibrant, sustainable San Jose.

Please help.


Middlebrook Center’s teaching garden is the Eco-Neighborhood center of central San Jose, serving:

- St Leo's Neighborhood
- Shasta Hanchett Historic District Neighborhood
- The Rose Garden Neighborhood
- Willow Glen Neighborhood
- Hester School
- Hoover Middle School
- Lincoln High School
- River Glen Elementary School
- Willow Glen High School
- Bellarmine College Preparatory
- St. Leo the Great School and Parrish
- St. Simon's Parish and School
- Rossinca-Carden School
- The Alameda Business District
- Rose Garden Farmers Market
- Mindful Aging Project
- San Jose Diocese
- First 5 Family Resource Center
- The Santa Clara Agrihood

Funds raised will help us to pay our rent, and continue our work for environmental education, ecoliteracy, restoring nature in the city and teaching students how to grow food in cities that will help solve the climate crisis.  

Watch Gavin Rust, 7th grade environmental leader at Hoover Middle School, speak at the gardens. Read this news article for details and this editorial by a local physician.

About California Native Garden Foundation: We want to bring native plants into our landscape again to restore our local ecosystem, promote biodiversity and educate communities in urban areas for a sustainable future. Our dream is to see 10,000 California schoolyards converted from asphalt and chain link fences to native and food gardens. We have created a teaching garden model at our Race St. headquarters in San Jose, where school kids visit and learn about science education, organic foods, nutrition and the outdoors.

CNGF Facebook Page 
Middlebrook Gardens Facebook Page 

Hester Farm, San Jose’s first Regenerative Organic Agriculture (ROA) teaching and research farm,  is operated by college student interns and local area high school students fulfilling community service hours.

This is CNGF/Hester Farm's stand at the Rose Garden Farmers Market, held weekly on Saturdays from 10 to 2.

Class field trips tour Hester ROA farm as well as ELSEE teaching gardens at The Middlebrook Center at 76 Race St in San Jose.

This is our ELSEE Teaching Lab with 200 bench marks for sustainable urban land use, which is certified by the United States Green Building Council and the Sustainable Sites Initiative.

This is the native garden that replaced a lawn at the Christian Science Church. It is one of 50 wildlife habitat native gardens in our eco-village neighborhood, all within two miles of The Middlebrook Center, the hub of our eco-neighborhood. 

Earth Hero’s Nature Camp has been held in the gardens every summer for the past seven years.

This year, we are sponsoring camp for 10 underserved children who will be taught by junior camp counselors from Hoover Middle School, Environmental Studies high school students, and college interns.

Here is a salad we prepared for a luncheon served to a group of seniors at the garden. It has 20 salad foods that we grow at Hester, our student farm, and at The Middlebrook Center. 

We host many events that are staffed by volunteers and students fulfilling hours for community service. Here is a group of volunteers from Google Marketing.

Here's Alison with her baby as part of a weekly neighborhood co-op preschool class. 

Homestead High School community service volunteer making friends with a lizard at Hester Farm.