News & Events 2023-2024 School Year
and More!
- 8/10/23
After School
Care resumes Please see our
After Care page for more information.
Limited openings available.


PAST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
-
10/17/19
Green Family Living:
Connecting Kids with Nature
Be
sure to check out the editorial by our director Linnaea
Avenell in Growing Up in Santa Cruz. Includes
information about how and why we do what we do at Little
Garden Patch, as well as tips for sharing the magic at
home.
https://growingupsc.com/green-family-living-october-2019/
- 4/01/19 New
Chicks! This is no April Fools -- 4 new
chicks have joined the farm! 2 golden Buff
Orpingtons, 1 white Brahma, and a lovely black with
white lacey Wyandotte.
- 3/29/18 New
chicks! Welcome brand new little baby
chickens Marshmallow, Cupcake, Brownie, and Francesca
(aka Franky). As the name might suggest,
Marshmallow will be a white chicken (Delaware).
But right now she's a yellow ball of fluff. Sweet
friendly Franky will be a black and white barred rock.
And Brownie and Cupcake will be black (update:
black with brown).
- 11/24/17
Farewell to Dawson. We are sad to
announce that our dear little black doggy Dawson has
passed on. Words cannot express the void he leaves
behind in all our hearts. Dawson was a long-haired
chihuahua and (we think) Dachshund mix whose courage, sunny personality, patience, and charm
won him many admirers here at the farm.
Even the UPS carrier -- his professed arch
nemesis -- has expressed his sorrow at the passing of "the
little Alpha", our pack leader. Dawson was a pound
puppy whose real age was not known, but we believe he
was about 12 years old. We know
for sure that he gave our family 10
wonderful years of love, laughter, and courageous
loyalty.
- 6/01/17 Presenting
Cookie and Pearl! Mia the pony now
has two new friends, miniature ponies Cookie and Pearl.
- 5/12/17 Welcome
ducklings. Jellya Duck hatched out
her babies!
- 7/31/16
Farewell Friend On this day we lost
our wonderful male goat Elliot to kidney and digestive
tract problems. He was a loving gentle giant with
tons of personality and will be deeply missed.
Learn more.
-
10/26/15 A new friend has arrived
at the farm. It's Mia the pony.
Mia is an American Shetland, a breed supremely well
suited to pull a cart or carriage.
-
12/2914
Meet our newest friend, Lilly the baby minature pot
bellied pig.
-
1/25/14
Daphne's Baby Goats have arrived! FINALLY!
The adorable baby girls, Oreo & Penelope, were born
January 25/26th in the wee hours. It was a long
night, but well worth it! These sweet babies love
to play and love to cuddle with children. In fact,
they might not let you leave. "Waaaaait!
Come baaaack!"
Here is a highlight from the
article:
Local mom Linnaea Avenell and her family recently made a move that affects not only her own family’s connection with the land but also extends that connection to local children.
“For many years my husband and I have been very much committed to the idea that connecting kids with nature would help them become more caring stewards of our Earth and of the other creatures that share it,” Linnaea explains. “Our most recent project in this vein is transforming our home/property here in Soquel into ‘Little Garden Patch Farm.’ Our goal has been to provide a space where children who might otherwise be stuck indoors all afternoon can enjoy child-led time playing outdoors the way so many kids no longer do.”
Rather than sell the property in Soquel where she grew up and where her children and their friends got to roam, Linnaea’s family decided to move in and make it their business. Little Garden Patch Farm now welcomes children five and up for gardening and nature time.
“I love watching a child arrive here after school—tired, batteries running on empty—get thoroughly recharged from running about outside playing games of make believe, playing ‘farm’ with the toys in the sensory tables, shucking corn husks from the garden to feed the goats, laughing at the chickens, exuberantly chasing a ball, and giggling along at story time,” Linnaea says. “It makes all the farm chores and maintenance I do around here feel totally worthwhile!”

Come join us for fun, learning,
and reconnecting with nature!
We offer a small family child care
facilty set on an urban microfarm and homestead with ducks,
chickens, goats and more.
|