Coastal Roots Farm
A community farm rooted in Jewish agricultural wisdom, food access, education, and stewardship.
Coastal Roots Farm is a nonprofit community farm and education center located in Encinitas, California, cultivating healthy food, environmental stewardship, and community connection through regenerative agriculture.
Situated on the Leichtag Commons campus, the farm is rooted in Jewish agricultural traditions and serves as a hub for food production, hands-on education, and community engagement—bringing together people of all backgrounds to connect through food, land, and shared experience.
The Work
The project began with a vision to create a community-centered farm that could serve as both a productive landscape and a place of learning and gathering.
This work included leading a community visioning process, designing and building the farm, and launching the nonprofit organization to steward its long-term operations.
The farm includes vegetable production areas, a food forest, educational gardens, a pay-what-you-can farm stand, compost systems, and spaces for gathering and programming.
Impact
Today, Coastal Roots Farm operates as a thriving nonprofit serving the broader San Diego community through food access, education, and connection to the land.
The farm functions as both a productive system and a form of social infrastructure—supporting community health, environmental education, and a deeper relationship to food and nature.
Farmer D played a crucially important, indispensable role in the start-up of Coastal Roots Farm and Leichtag Commons. As a thought leader and well-respected practitioner, he has defined best practice in community farming. His visionary contributions continue to have a sustaining and foundational impact.
— Jim Farley, Executive Chair, Leichtag Foundation