The purpose of CAASTLC’s Seeds of Hope Farm’s botanical gardens is to alleviate poverty and increase long-term community resilience through food security and scholastic achievement. We believe early exposure to STEM concepts in an outdoor classroom setting can increase the likelihood among young students of academic success and educational attainment.
Here at Seeds of Hope Farm, we grow a wide variety of plants.
Some are annual veggies like tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers which go home with volunteers, school children, and food pantry recipients.
Some are perennial veggies like rhubarb and asparagus.
Some are herbs like thyme and oregano which add flavor and aroma to our cooking.
Some are familiar fruits, like strawberries and blackberries.
Some are tree fruits such as figs and Asian pears which are new to many neighbors.
Some are nutritious berries from shrubs such as chokeberry and goji.
To enhance the farm’s outdoor classroom setting and STEM-themed curriculum for visiting students, we have earned an arboretum accreditation. An arboretum is a place to enjoy and learn about shrubs and trees. We educate the public about backyard fruit production and the benefits of native plants. A special feature of our plantings is a merging of the themes of fruit and nut production and native planting as we highlight the fruit of persimmon, pawpaw, and serviceberry trees, chokeberry and elderberry shrubs, blackberry brambles, and nuts such as black walnut, pecan, and hazelnut. Our trees and shrubs play a role in the urban ecosystem, supporting insects and birds, while also providing us with delicious and nutritious food.
CAASTLC’s Seeds of Hope Farm has been awarded a Level I Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum, for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. CAASTLC’s Seeds of Hope Farm is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.