Steve Gliessman and Robbie Jaffe have a lifetime commitment to creating healthy food systems where nourishing foods are grown in ways that benefit the environment and the people who grow the food; and there is a direct connection between the people consuming the food and the farmers. Condor’s Hope is a place where they put their principles to practice bringing together their love of farming, the environment and community.
Steve is professor emeritus of Environmental Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) where he founded the agroecology program. He is currently editor of the Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Journal. Robbie founded Life Lab, a nonprofit organization that develops school garden curriculum, programs, and trainings, and was a lecturer in environmental education at UCSC. She was also one of the founding members of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market, one of the first certified farmers markets in California. Together Steve and Robbie started the Community Agroecology Network (CAN), a nonprofit that collaborates with rural communities in Mexico and Central America to develop sustainable food systems through agroecology.
“I have always dreamed of having our own family farm, and a place where the agroecology that I teach becomes a reality. Condor’s Hope has become that place, where each time I place my hands in the soil, prune a vine, or harvest a bunch of grapes, I am nourished by the land, by family, and by community.” – Steve
“Condor’s Hope is a place of community. A beautiful location where family and friends gather to be part of nature and enjoy the fruits of our labor together. It’s a time and place for me to tune into what I truly value.” – Robbie
Condor’s Hope works with a wonderful team of local community members, past students, and new UCSB interns and Fellows. Alisa Bilyk, a past intern, is currently Condor’s Hope’s Events & Digital Media Manager.
Education
As retired educators we like to say we now get to teach with a glass of wine in our hands! We enjoy sharing our vineyard with visitors whether you are here for a wine tasting, a community harvest, or a special event. Over the past few years, we have developed a collaboration with the Agroecology Program at UC Santa Barbara where classes come to visit and students are selected for internships and summer fellowships. The teaching and learning exchanges are so special, and we realize we never left education. It is an important part of what we do at Condor’s Hope.
We regularly have an intern during spring quarter and a summer fellow who lives at Condor’s Hope throughout the harvest season. As part of their time with us, these students complete a project. Please see some of their projects here.