Emma Prusch Farm Park is a 43.5 acre (176,000 m²) park in East

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

. Donated by Emma Prusch to the City of San Jose in 1962 to use to demonstrate the valley's agricultural past, it includes a

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...

barn (the largest in San Jose), community gardens, a rare-fruit orchard, demonstration gardens, picnic areas, and expanses of lawn. The park is host to an annual

Harvest Festival A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places. ...

and is operated cooperatively by the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department and the non-profit Emma Prusch Farm Park Foundation.

History

The land for this farm park was donated by Emma Prusch to the City of San Jose in 1962 to keep for agricultural purposes, and provides an introduction to

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...

life. The park is operated as a small farm by the City of San Jose, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services. Barn space is provided to city kids in the

and

Future Farmers of America National FFA Organization is an American 501(c)(3) youth organization, specifically a career and technical student organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. It was founded in 1925 at Vi ...

so they can experience farming practices in an urban environment. The farm also has a rare fruit

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

, a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

fruit orchard and two community gardens, and a urban farming project calle
Veggielution
In the spring, the park offers guided tours for K–3 school groups. These tours provide a sensory education emphasis while students learn about

gardens A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

orchard,

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...

and

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

Features

* Preserved Prusch farmhouse * San Jose's largest free standing

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...

is run by City of San Jose staff. Livestock varies by season with kids in

and the

raising animals in the middle of the city. * Small animal yard where children can see farm animals up close. * California Rare Fruit Growers Orchard is a large cooperative project with the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, consisting of over 125 rare and exotic

fruit tree A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, t ...

s including bananas,

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

, and other sub-tropicals. New signage will allow visitors to identify each tree while on a self-guided tour. * Several acres of open grass perfect for

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

, kite flying, games and relaxing * 5 reservable grou
picnic
areas, outdoo
Wedding Barn
and a renta
Meeting Hall
community room with kitchen.
Veggielution Community Farm
On a little over Veggielution empowers youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to create a

sustainable food system A sustainable food system is a type of food system that provides healthy food to people and creates sustainable environmental, economic and social systems that surround food. Sustainable food systems start with the development of sustainable agr ...

in San Jose. * The first Saturday in October is th
Harvest Festival
an annual fair with multicultural dancing, a hay wagon ride, 4H animal expo, fresh pressed apple cider, plant sales, and other family friendly activities. Entrance is free.

Photo gallery

File:Emma Prusch Farm Park Playground.jpg , Playground and picnic area with view of mountains File:Emma Prusch Farm Park 4-H Barn Exterior.jpg, 4-H barn exterior File:Emma Prusch Farm Park 4-H Barn Interior.jpg, 4-H barn interior File:Emma Prusch & Her Park.jpg, Information sign at Emma's home File:Emma Prusch Farm Park Home and Gardens.jpg, Gardens in front of Emma's home File:Emma Prusch Farm Park people on lawn.jpg, People on a park lawn with mountains in background

References

External links

Emma Prusch Farm Park website

California Rare Fruit Growers Association

National 4-H Club of America

Future Farmers of America

Veggielution Community Farm
{{San Jose and Silicon Valley attractions Parks in San Jose, California Protected areas established in 1962 1962 establishments in California Agricultural education