Growing Grounds Nursery, San Luis Obispo

To find where you can buy Growing Grounds plants for your home or landscaping business, visit our new Buy Growing Grounds page!

Our Program

Growing Grounds Farm and Nursery is one of three social enterprises operated by TMHA.  Established over 35 years ago, Growing Grounds is a nonprofit wholesale nursery that provides therapeutic horticulture, socialization opportunities, paid employment, and soft job skills training for adults with severe and persistent mental illness.

At the Nursery, we balance a traditional business model providing employment opportunities in a near competitive environment with the delivery of critically needed social services. Our goal is to grow a large selection of quality plants while providing an empowering environment where our employees progress on their path towards recovery.  Our employees earn minimum wage and work between 1.5 and 4 hour shifts.

In order to be a paid employee, you need to have an open case with San Luis Obispo County Mental Health, and then be referred to the farm for an interview. You can get more information by calling us at (805) 543-6071.

For more information about this program, please see our Growing Grounds Nursery San Luis Obispo Fact Sheet and in Spanish.

Our Friends

We love our volunteers, and always have room for individuals and small groups.  During set "drop in" hours, a person can come to the Nursery and participate in a normal work day, working side by side with our employees. Long term volunteers can arrange specific days and times with Nursery management and can participate in infrastructure creation and maintenance, daily operations, and special projects. Growing Grounds Farm & Nursery also serves as a location for those who need to fulfill court ordered community service, or community service for section 8 housing. Please contact Clara Cobb, Community Resource Coordinator to arrange volunteer scheduling at ccobb@t-mha.org