Our Work: A Reimagined Food System
Since our start, we have committed to using only regenerative, soil healthy practices that enrich the land and cultivate nutrient-dense food: diversified vegetables, pastured poultry, and livestock.
Our farm’s food directly supplies local school districts and institutions like food security organizations and hospitals with healthy food for learning and healing. We also remain steadfast in our community engagement efforts as farmers and local food advocates.
Our Process: Regenerative Farming
We farm from a deep passion, commitment and sense of duty to preserve the land and soil, care for the climate, and sustain a local agricultural system for our communities.
Everything the farm does, from planting cover crops to introducing and tending beneficial insects and animals, is with the deliberate intention to stay true to the principles of regenerative agriculture while transforming access to local food for those who need it most.
Minimize Soil Disturbance
Soil supports a complex network of microorganisms and microscopic air pockets, resulting in an undisturbed, healthy ecosystem.
Integrate Livestock
A complementary, small scale crop-livestock system builds up and regenerates the soil by adding fertilizers, nutrients and organic matter.
Keep The Soil Covered
A covering of healthy, growing crops protects topsoil and supports water penetration.
Maintain Living Root Year-Round
Roots support bacteria by supplying a food supply or by releasing nutritional substances into the soil.
Maximize Crop Diversity
Cycling a variety of plant species throughout the plots improves and optimizes soil health supporting below ground biodiversity.
Habitat Planting
Beneficial insects act as nature’s defenders and play a crucial role in controlling unwanted pests without the use of harmful chemicals.
Educational Programs
We imagine a local and equitable food system that supports well being, educational attainment and community vitality for the next generation.
Farm to school educational programs both at schools and on our urban farm is how we bring this vision to life.
Impact Report
Spork Food Hub was founded by Hope Sippola and Shayne Zurilgen in the summer of 2021 at a time when schools in Sacramento County were experiencing supply chain challenges and unable to source ingredients for meals.
Spork Food Hub exists to improve access to local food for those who need it most. It’s the culmination of our work in farming, education, community engagement and advocacy — and we’re just getting started.
100+
Expanded partnerships with over 100 local, sustainable and family-owned farms as well as school districts, hospitals, food security programs and prisons throughout the Sacramento Country & beyond.
30k
Empowered over 30k youth and families with ag-based learning experiences on the farm and in school gardens throughout Sacramento Country
$2M
Procured over $2 million exclusively from local, sustainable, and family-owned farms.