Letter to our Community

April 2025

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The Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County has managed Wild Willow Farm & Education Center since September 2019. The land, located in the Tijuana River Valley, is leased from the County of San Diego. On February 12, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County elected to terminate its lease of the property effective June 30, 2025. The farm has been operating at a loss since 2019 and, despite investments into the site, there was no sustainable path for the RCD to continue operating it without jeopardizing our other conservation work. The decision was a difficult one, knowing the impact the farm has had on the community and the thousands of people who have visited or tended the land.

We know it is a special place for many people. While the RCD will no longer manage the farm site, we remain committed to supporting farm-based education and access to land for growing. The RCD will continue to manage the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, which includes 210 garden plots and 10 quarter acre farm plots.

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We are so grateful for the support the community has shown Wild Willow Farm over the years. We are sad to leave but hopeful for what comes next on this very special land, as well as how our programs will transition.

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What’s next?

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Staff are in the process of re-imagining our education programs and how we will offer them going forward. Please stay in touch to keep informed about the future of field trips, workshops, and the Farm School course.

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We will continue to offer monthly volunteering opportunities, and potentially special volunteering events as we get closer to June. We will also continue to offer all scheduled workshops and spring Farm School. Field trips will continue through mid-May and production will wind down at the end of April.

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The County of San Diego, as the landowner, will issue a request for proposals (RFP) to find a new entity to manage the site. Interested parties can reach out to Charles Gailband, charles.gailband@sdcounty.ca.gov or Noel Agarma, noel.agarma@sdcounty.ca.gov for more information.

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Please stay in touch via our Instagram accounts, @wildwillowfarm and @rcdsandiego, for more information about events and activities, as well as next steps. You can also reach out to Ann Baldridge, the Executive Director of the RCD, with any questions at ann.baldridge@rcdsandiego.org.