Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont - LEAF

10/03/2026

On Sept. 19, LEAF received a $5,000 donation from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, presented right at our local Sprouts Farmers Market in Newark!

This gift is part of Sprouting Healthy Communities Day, when Sprouts Farmers Market stores across 26 states hand out $2.75 million to more than 550 nonprofit partners, all on the same day. Funds like this go straight into our educational programs that promote healthy eating, inspire environmental action, foster community connections, and support mental well-being.

A huge thank you to Sprouts Farmers Market and the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for investing in our community!

10/03/2026

On Sept. 19, LEAF received a $5,000 donation from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation (Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation), presented right at our local Sprouts Farmers Market in Newark!

This gift is part of Sprouting Healthy Communities Day, when Sprouts (Sprouts Farmers Market) stores across 26 states hand out $2.75 million to more than 550 nonprofit partners, all on the same day. Funds like this go straight into our educational programs that promote healthy eating, inspire environmental action, foster community connections, and support mental well-being.

A huge thank you to Sprouts Farmers Market and the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for investing in our community!

10/03/2026

Ever wonder what's beneath your feet at the LEAF Urban Gardens? 🌱

Huge thanks to Jiya Shah for the in-depth research and curation behind "The Land at LEAF" — the history panel on display during Grow Together 2026 — telling the story of this ground, from 10,000+ years of Ohlone presence along Alameda Creek, to the California Nursery Company’s founding in 1884, and finally to the City of Fremont's purchase of the land in 1972 and LEAF's founding of the LEAF Community Garden in 2014. This land has been feeding and connecting our community for generations, and we're honored to continue that legacy.

10/01/2026

October is packed at LEAF! 🌱 Save the date for our biggest fall event: Family Day at the LEAF Urban Farm on Sunday, 10/25, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.! We're planting native pollinator flowers, replenishing our native hedgerow, and painting watercolor pictures — plus farm-grown pumpkins will be available for purchase.

How about some mindful movement and meditation? Join us at the LEAF Community Garden on 10/17 for free outdoor yoga at 10 a.m., followed by a free meditation session guided by Hearfulness at 11:30 a.m.

Plus, swing by Fremont Main Library's Fukaya Room for two hands-on workshops — growing potatoes and onions on 10/3, then finger-knitting with T-shirt yarn on 10/20. Prefer to garden from home? Join Talkin' Dirt Online on 10/7 for regenerative growing tips from our Master Gardeners.

Tickets are free — RSVP on Eventbrite and see you in the garden!

09/27/2026

See you there today!

Join us at the 2026 Disability Resource Fair!

The City of Fremont Human Relations Commission and Friends of Children with Special Needs invite you to a fun, informative, and family‑friendly day.

Sunday, September 27, 2026
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Downtown Event Center

This free event is designed for individuals with disabilities and their families. Come enjoy:
• Opportunities to meet and learn from local firefighters and police
• Live demonstrations and entertainment
• Resource booths featuring over 40 community providers
• Music from the Dream Achievers Band

09/24/2026

A huge thank you to Out of the Oven Bakery Out of the Oven for keeping our LEAF Grow Together 2026 Fundraiser guests fed and happy all night long! 🍞

Your delicious snack catering brought flavor to the evening, and it was the exact kind of hands-on support that makes LEAF's community events possible. From the first bite to the last, our guests were talking about the table spread!

LEAF is about nourishing community, and partners like Out of the Oven help us do just that. 💛

Out of the Oven offers catering for events of various sizes, as well as custom orders of baked goods, and the owner, Rupa, who is also one of our core volunteers, is so lovely to work with. Please check out her website!

Want to support LEAF the way Out of the Oven does? Get in contact today!

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09/23/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who made this year’s Grow Together Fundraiser possible! 💛

Financial sponsors
Star One Credit Union Star One Credit Union
Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente
Republic Services Republic Services
Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert David Haubert
Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez Elisa Márquez

In-kind sponsors
Out of the Oven Bakery Out of the Oven
Costco Costco
Sprouts Sprouts Farmers Market
Whole Foods Whole Foods Market
Trader Joe's Trader Joe's
Banter Bookshop Banter Bookshop
3 Steves Winery 3 Steves Winery
Down By The Bay Nursery Josh Rubietta
Art Pocket SJ art pocket! san josé
Zoe Caron Art Zoe Caron
Tree Wolf

It takes a village to run an organization like LEAF, and this list of partners is proof of what's possible when a community shows up for environmental education, food donations, soil science and community building. We're endlessly grateful. 🌱

Want to be part of what we grow next? Donate, volunteer, or come see our Urban Gardens for yourself.

09/22/2026

A huge thank you to CA Assemblymember Alex Lee and Mayor Raj Salwan for recognizing LEAF's 2026 Grow Together Annual Fundraiser! 💛

We received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor's office, both honoring our work advancing environmental education and regenerative agriculture here in Fremont.

The Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly was delivered by Amy Chen, Field Representative of Alex Lee, and says: “In recognition for LEAF for organizing their 2026 Grow Together Annual Fundraiser with special appreciation for continued dedication in educating our community about sustainable food systems and environmental education.”

City of Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan was joined by Vice Mayor Raymond Liu, Council Member Desrie Campbell, and City Manager Karena Shackelford, in delivering the City’s Certificate of Appreciation, which read: “This certificate is awarded to LEAF in recognition of the Grow Together 2026 Annual Fundraiser and LEAF’s work advancing environmental education, sustainable gardening, and community food programs. With gratitude for helping Fremont learn, connect, and grow together.”

These recognitions belong to every volunteer who keeps our urban gardens and communities growing. Thank you, Assemblymember Alex Lee and Mayor Raj Salwan, for this honor!

Want to help us keep growing? Come volunteer with us, or make a donation.

09/21/2026

09/18/2026

What a day! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Grow Together 2026 with us at the LEAF Community Garden. You - our partners, funders, volunteers, neighbors, friends and family - showed up in a big way for environmental education, food donations, soil science and community building in Fremont and the East Bay.

From mingling with local dignitaries and community leaders to farm-inspired bites, a fun raffle, and live music from the Dream Achievers Band and The Niles Orchestra, it was an unforgettable afternoon and evening of connection. Every dollar raised has brought us closer to our goals of fully funding our sub-compact tractor for the LEAF Urban Farm.

Thank you, Amy Chen, Field Representative for Assemblymember Alex Lee; Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez ; Mayor, City of Fremont, Raj Salwan ; Vice Mayor Raymond Liu; Council Member Desrie Campbell, for attending and showing your support.

Thank you, Sylvia Yeh, Executive Business Director, Friends of Children with Special Needs; Aziz Akbari, President, Board of Directors, Alameda County Water District; Kathleen Hsu, President & Co-Founder, Everything Starts Small, and Livia Chen, senior at Mission San Jose High School, for your inspiring stories.

Thank you, Jiya Shah, for researching and exhibiting LEAF’s history at the event.

Thank you to our financial sponsors: Star One Credit Union, Kaiser Permanente, and Republic Services; and to our in-kind sponsors: Out of the Oven Bakery, Republic Services, Costco, Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Banter Bookshop, 3 Steves Winery, Down By the Bay Nursery, Art Pocket San Jose, Zoe Caron Art, and Tree Wolf, for your generous support for LEAF.

Thank you, Tri-City Voice for covering the event and sharing this special moment with the wider Tri-City area.

Thank you for growing with us — we couldn't do this work without you. 💚

Missed the event? You can still support us! Donate via the link in the comments.