by Heidi Cartan
Executive Director
Common Roots Farm has reached a new milestone in realizing our mission where those with and without disabilities grow healthy food, beautiful flowers and build community together. Last Saturday, with the support of nearly 200 guests, we celebrated the completion of our accessible farm path and newly renovated Seed to Salad accessible garden.
   It was a party! Our Farm Stand was in full colorful abundance, offering over 20 different fresh produce items, as well as lots of jams, shrubs, sauces and cocktail mixes. Ada’s Cafe prepared delicious farm-based treats; The Wayfarer Mobile Bar served (generously donated) Martinelli's cider, lemonade, and our own strawberry shrub mixed with sparkling water; and the Olive and Coyote Flower Truck presented Common Roots Farm bouquets for sale to our guests. It was a grand time made even more festive with the music of the Babiarz-Scott Band who entertained us with Acoustic Americana tunes all afternoon.
 Our wheelchair accessible farm path and Seed to Salad garden were made possible with the financial support of Helpers Community, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Palo Alto Medical Group's Community Health Endowment Program, and our GoFundMe donors organized by Jenny Hernandez. We are so grateful to each of these donors for making dreams come true and allowing us to better welcome farmers of all abilities here at the farm.
 Nearly 10,000 square feet of TRUEGRID permeable pavers have been installed, creating an eight-foot wide surface that allows strollers, wheelchairs, bikes, and pedestrians to stay out of the dirt and get around the perimeter of our farm. Starting at one end near our greenhouse, the path winds along Golf Club Drive, offering views of our row crops. Then the path turns into what will be our future orchard, with bare root fruit tree planting slated for this winter and early spring. After traveling through the orchard area, the path connects to our accessible raised-bed garden, dubbed “Seed to Salad,” and finally travels around and down to our main field entrance, post harvest area, chicken coops and sheep pen, ending at the lower lot. The final segment of our path awaits the completion of our future barn, where the two ends will join together.
 Why is this so significant? With these additions, Common Roots is one of the most accessible production farms in the nation! We look forward to welcoming the many visitors, participants, students, and volunteers who will enjoy and benefit from these features. Whether you’re here to help us farm, enjoy raised bed gardening, find solace in a natural setting, restore native habitat along our creek, or just enjoy walking through a colorful and diversified market farm, Common Roots is excited to welcome you.
Starting with the Spring 2022 season, the farm will be expanding opportunities for volunteering, as well as opening for public hours so that the farm's beauty and productivity can be widely enjoyed. We know nature will work its magic on our visitors, just as it does our current staff and volunteers, and we invite you to stay in touch through our website, Facebook, and Instagram. Happy Fall!
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