Just like that, it’s December and time to get together, be thankful and spread love to everyone in our orbits. There are a couple of ways CARP Growers is GIVING BACK this year. You can be part of it.

The Lions Club Festival of Trees in Carpinteria is the must-see event of the holiday season. Big winners!

CARPINTERIA LIONS CLUB FESTIVAL OF TREES

First is the annual Carpinteria Lions Club Festival of Trees. It’s on display at 700 Linden Avenue through Dec. 14. CARP Growers has a tree decked out in the bounties of local agriculture. In all, there are about 20 trees donated by local businesses and service groups. Admissions to Festival of Trees is free and it’s $1 per raffle ticket for a chance to win a tree. Winners announced Dec. 15.

The “Homegrown Carpinteria Christmas” tree sponsored by CARP has over $1k in locally shopped gifts and gift certificates. The “big prize” is that Lions Club donates all proceeds to community causes like school parent groups. 

Take in the lights and delights of the holiday season on annual Holiday Lights Tour.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOUR, DEC. 7

We are also proudly powering the Parents for Canalino School Holiday Lights Tour. By powering, we mean providing the trolleys, so this event is a true fundraiser for the schools. Buy a ticket and that purchase price won’t go toward paying for trolley rentals. It’ll go to school supplies, field trips and other important classroom needs. The Holiday Lights tour takes place on Saturday, Dec. 7.

A portion of select purchases from The Farmacy SB will go back to Freedom Warming Centers, which hosts shelters all over the county.

GIVING BACK TO FREEDOM WARMING CENTERS

Freedom Warming Centers do a lot of heavy lifting for the housing challenged segment of our communities by opening temporary emergency shelters during inclement winter weather. This year, The Farmacy of Santa Barbara has teamed up with CARP Growers member farms to GIVE BACK a portion of sales in support of FWC. Customers at The Farmacy can count on 5% of their purchases of local products going back to Freedom Warming Centers for items like socks, blankets and whatever else is needed for these critical, life-saving operations in Santa Barbara County. 

Cresco California joined Santa Barbara Channelkeeper last week to scour the creeks of litter before rains came and washed the trash out to sea.

CLEANING THE CREEKS

Sometimes the holidays and winter season call for rolling up our sleeves and giving a gift to Mother Nature. In preparation for the first significant rains of the season, a team from Cresco California got out and cleaned up the Carpinteria Valley watershed. Volunteers collected over 100 pounds of trash before the rains could wash it down the creeks and into the ocean. That’s a gift that keeps on giving.