HeartSeed Farm spans 22 acres in the wetland valley of Jonive Creek, located in Sebastopol, California.

In the mid-20th century, Jonive Creek was dredged to mitigate flooding, which caused significant damage to the surrounding ecosystems. We are now working to repair and restore the landscape.

We are restoring the floodplain, placing the land into a trust, and converting the housing on the upper land into a nonprofit, limited equity housing cooperative.

All funds raised through this Gitcoin project will be used to support work and equipment to reshape the hillside, maximizing water retention and aquifer recharge. Our plan includes the creation of multiple basins and ponds, connected by contoured terraces to manage water flow.

Max Kee discusses the work already done with the funds from Ma Earth Grants Round 1:

Interview with Max Kee

We observe the water as it flows down the hill into the creek. Through carefully planned swales, basins, and ponds, we slow and spread the water throughout the landscape. We prepare and apply our own compost, intentionally rotate crops, use cover cropping, select seeds for drought tolerance, bury large amounts of biomass in hugelkultur mounds, and practice rotational grazing. This leads to increased soil fertility and reduced groundwater demands. We avoid tilling beds after they’ve been opened for the first time. Additionally, we incorporate perennial trees and shrubs, nitrogen fixers, and pollinator plants into each of the garden landscapes.

HeartSeed Farm is closely connected to the BeeHive School, nestled within the farm itself. Here, students engage in farm work by weeding and planting, gaining hands-on experience in recognizing and valuing a thriving ecosystem, and understanding how a farm can work in harmony with its surroundings.

The bulk of the work involves shaping the hillside to maximize water retention and aquifer recharge. We envision four basins and two ponds added to the hillside, with contoured terraces conveying water between them. We’ve already created a pond at the top of the hill, and the first basin will be situated near its outlet to receive overflow. This basin will have two outlets connecting to other basins on either side of the slope, positioned as high as the contour line allows. The second basin will capture runoff from the neighboring pasture, as well as from the first basin.

Our existing basins capture 10,000 gallons of water annually. With your funding, we aim to increase this capacity by an additional 30,000 gallons each year.

The basins will feed ponds in the valley. Native wetland plants will be used to mitigate erosion around the ponds and basins. The terraced areas that convey water between the basins will be used for annual and perennial food crops, interspersed with pasture blocks for winter grazing.

This project will enhance habitat for native species, reduce soil and creek bed erosion, and provide essential water for crops during the dry season. By sinking more water into the earth, we reduce the need to draw from groundwater wells.