The Ecology Center

This beautiful Center is all about local, sustainable healthy food and living. Their Community Table dinners are amazing; incredible chefs, great people living their passion. Inspiring.

I LOVE this place. I love taking my daughter to go and learn about gardening and the environment. The workshops are fun and I’ve even had the pleasure of teaching one. I love that this place is so close by. Keep up the good work!

Love everything about the Ecology Center including their summer camps. Our 8 year old son came home every day full of things to tell us about, and he has never been more excited about a camp. He loved taking care of the chickens; picking elderberry’s and making jam with them; baking zucchini bread and peach crisp in a sun oven; learning about ecology and compost; growing bean sprouts and charting their growth. The setting is beautiful there and Chelsea was a great camp instructor.

This place is so awesome! We come here mostly during Halloween for the cute pumpkin patch and spring to pick strawberries! During Halloween i found their pumpkins to be the cheapest out of all pumpkin patches or grocery stores. Likewise for a huge bag of strawberries. There is a lot of parking, whether in their lot or on the street. Everyone is super friendly here! They have many great educational events. Cool place for kids that is different from all the gadgets! I live right in front of this place and have seen many wonderful weddings and events take place here. Everyone should check it out.

I’m very impressed how quick my 9yr old son learned to be more cautious in overuse of water and try to compost all kitchen scraps. He is now open to try tasting different plants/​vegetables and I’m surprised to see how much he loved eating fenugreek flower at the farm table. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

My 9 year old son had a great time Farm Lab camp and looks forward to his next camp at The Ecology Center. When I asked him about his favorite things the top two were the shelter building and growing and journaling the sprouts. Pretty much the entire week was a slam dunk for him. He (and we) love (s) the Ecology Center and all of the activities were not only engaging but also fun. Everything was as smooth as silk. Thank you for putting on a great camp!

I am hooked on the Ecology Center! The first time I visited I was instantly drawn to their garden. I meandered through the succulents and drought tolerant plants then discovered another garden of veggies. Behind that was a chicken coop, then more veggies and then a little hut and more veggies. It was fun to explore and it opened my eyes to new ways of designing a garden and growing veggies.
The store itself is fun and educational to peruse. There are tons of eco-​friendly, local, organic, green products, plants and seeds. I like the fact that The Ecology Center is supporting local businesses.
One thing that really blew me away is that I was greeted by the shopkeepers as if I was family. It was such a warm welcome that I felt completely at ease and happy to be there. Subsequent visits were the same.
Another big bonus is that the Ecology Center is right next to South Coast Farms, where I do my shopping for local and organic veggies (Famr stand is open 7 days a week). That’s actually how I found out about the Ecology Center. At first I thought they were one and the same, then I realized The Ecology Center is it’s own awesome organization run out of a cute farm house.
Definitely a must to go there and check out their garden and wares. Everyone there is super knowledgeable too, don’t hesitate to ask them any questions you have!

love this place!

I have a student who was doing her internship for her Zero Waste Certificate from Irvine Valley College, so I came here to do her site visit. Meg, her supervisor gave me a tour. I must say I was quite impressed. What a fantastic concept and they are doing great things here to educate lower income children about growing and eating your own food.
The house is beautiful as are the grounds. They compost their waste and grow a lot of fruits and vegetables.
The farm next store sells great produce too although they are not part of the Ecology Center.
I am definitely going to sign up for a class here.

Love the goal and good vibe of the Ecology Center. They supply great facts and helpful info on how to live in a more ecologically responsible way, and they also offer relevant and fun workshops for people of all ages. Happy to have my membership dollars going to support such a positive and impacting organization. Definitely check this place out!
And, while there, pick up some delish eggs and produce from the neighboring organic farm’s market stand. 2 great things at 1 spot!

I had a wonderful time here on Halloween at their Ho-​Down. made some awesome smashed bottle cap magnets, ate delicious chili for free, had a few organic drinks, etc. Everything was donation based.
The Congdon House, which is an old victorian built 130 years ago, is gorgeous and newly restored. Inside you can find exhibits, art, and a small store containing eco friendly items.
They also have classes here about eco-​design, water, gardening, etc. While we were there Evan, the guy who started everything up, gave my friend six small bean plants to put in her garden. They also have a library where you can learn more if you want to stick around and read some books.
Awesome non-​profit organization that is linked to South Coast Farms. Lots of activities and demonstrations. I will be back!