Just as organic farmers replenish the soil to nurture their crops, at Earthbound Farm we’ve made a tradition of giving back to our communities to help them prosper and grow.

• Future Environmental Stewardship: We support the next generation of environmental stewards by funding academic scholarships at Anzar High School and University of California Santa Cruz.
   
• Local Organic Outreach: Our outreach program delivers farm-fresh organic produce to local schools. The program has been so successful that we’ve expanded it to one of our local hospitals, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. We’ve helped students at Anzar High School start a student-managed organic garden, and through our Farm Stand we've also set up an organic school lunch program in cooperation with All Saints' Day School in Carmel Valley, CA.
   
• Community Support: Being good neighbors means taking an active role in community activities by supporting charitable organizations, school fundraising events, service clubs, and local food banks throughout the year with financial and product donations to their fundraising efforts.
   
• Earthbound Farm Scholarships: Every achievement at Earthbound Farm is made possible through the hard work and dedication of our employees — some have been with us since the earliest days of our company. To honor our employees, we award two renewable scholarships each year to children of employees headed to college or other post-secondary education. It’s a smart investment in the future for all of us.
   
• Employee Charities: Our employees are proud to support Earthbound Farm’s mission to share the benefits of organic food — and in turn, Earthbound Farm supports our employees’ passions for other causes. Each month we donate to a nonprofit organization nominated by our employees. Here are some of the charitable organizations we've supported over the last year:

   

  April 2013	Decades of research have shown that children need stable, permanent families in order to thrive, and Kinship Center is committed to creating and supporting permanent families for children in California through adoption, relative care giving or other guardianship.
  March 2013	Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. The American Heart Association/Go Red for Women harnesses the energy, passion and power of women to collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce it, and it gives them tools to lead a heart-healthy life. Our donation will go specifically to support a luncheon fundraiser in May.
  February 2013	Cancer touches so many people today that many of us have loved ones who have faced the disease. Our donation to the American Cancer Society will support our local Salinas Relay for Life (2nd largest in California and 7th in the nation) this summer, helping to build awareness in the community and raise money to help find a cure.
  January 2013	The Northwest Agricultural Research Foundation is committed to improving food production in Washington state. In 2009, they formed an Organic Committee to focus specifically on organic crop and animal production. The committee facilitates funding and direction of research within organic agriculture; it’s often the seed financier for preliminary ideas that then develop into regional and national research projects, many of which address issues of environmental concern and are undertaken to ensure safer and more secure local food systems.
  December 2012	Men's health issues can often go overlooked, but the Movember Foundation raises awareness and funding for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer research initiatives. Since its beginning in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has grown to become a global movement and aims to have a lasting impact by spreading awareness and sparking conversations about men's health.
  November 2012	The Tierra Pacifica Charter School Vegetable and Fruit Garden in Santa Cruz teaches children how to grow healthy, organic produce. Students learn about biological and environmental science, nutrition and environmental stewardship, and the kids thrive with the chance to work outside and eat the produce they've grown. Parents are amazed when their children come home excited about fruits and vegetables.
  October 2012	The Salinas Valley Fair Heritage Foundation supports the fair through capital improvements and financial assistance. They also support community programs such as FFA and 4-H. Earthbound’s donation will go toward building new facilities to shelter the year-round operations of the Fair and all of the community events that are held there throughout the year.
  September 2012	The ALS Association (Golden West Chapter) is dedicated solely to the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It leads the way in research, patient and community services, public education and advocacy, giving help and hope to those facing the disease. Their mission is to lead the fight to cure and treat this disease with global, cutting edge research and to empower those with ALS to live fuller lives.
  August 2012	Suenos Aztecas is an after-school program dedicated to creating pride and fostering self-esteem among students at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville, CA. Students learn about Hispanic culture through traditional dance, and they perform for various community events. The group also raises money for college scholarships and to finance member activities.
  July 2012	The Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Foundation supports the County Fairgrounds, a unique year-round venue for recreation, education, science, sports and charitable activities that enrich the community. The Foundation raises funds and implements capital improvement projects on the grounds. Earthbound's donation will be used specifically to help repair the barns used by children ages 9-18 who exhibit their animals at the Fair.
  June 2012	The Garden of Hope Project, run by the Skagit Valley Neighbors in Need and Garden of Hope Food Bank, produces organic, local produce exclusively for donation to the food bank system in Skagit County, Washington. Earthbound’s donation will support the 2012 garden, helping with water inputs, irrigation, seed and a part-time staff person to help manage volunteers and distribution of the harvest.
  May 2012	The Salinas-Marina Community Food Project supports the production of fresh food, nutrition education and employment training. By building and maintaining community gardens with and for underserved populations in the Monterey Bay Area, the organization increases people's access to fresh organic produce; provides a supportive work environment that nurtures entrepreneurial enterprise; and creates free public green spaces for the community to enjoy.