Crops at Centennial Farm

Learn all about the crops that grow at Centennial Farm year round.

Rotating raised garden beds

On our three-acre working farm, we have 10 raised garden beds which grow a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Being an educational farm, you will see a variety of crops depending on the season. In the fall you can find beets, cabbage and pumpkins; in the spring you can find artichokes, celery and swiss chard; and in the summer you can find peppers, corn and strawberries. We display our crops at varying stages of growth from seedling to mature plants ready to harvest and even allow some to go to see so patrons can see the full cycle of the plant.

Rare fruit trees

In partnership with the Rare Fruit Growers of Orange County, Centennial Farm is home to more than 25 different varieties of fruit trees originating from all over the world, including a coffee bean tree, a Sherwood jujube tree and pineapple guava tree. 

Herb garden

Our herb garden showcases the three main benefits of herbs including medicinal, aromatherapy and culinary. In the aromatherapy category you can find lavender which is known to promote relaxation and help in sleeplessness and lemongrass which can help alleviate digestive problems. Medicinal uses of herbs include chamomile which can calm an upset stomach and help with anxiety and fever. Last for herb uses is in the culinary department, where sage can help with loss of appetite and mental performance, and stevia, which is a calorie-free sweetener alternative to sugar.

Cotton

You can find cotton plants year-round at Centennial Farm. Cotton is one of the top natural fibers used to make a variety of products from clothing to rugs to upholstery. The cotton plant goes dormant for a portion of the year, but in the summer and fall seasons, depending on the region where it is grown, is when the cotton is harvested. The plant will flower, the flower will fall off exposing a round green ball called a cotton boll, the boll will burst open and expose the cotton itself. Within each boll there are about 32 seeds which need to be separated from the cotton fiber before it can be used to make products.

At Centennial Farm you will find on display a bale of cotton weighing 480 pounds, which is how farmers harvest the cotton and prepare it for transportation to the processing facility.

Six plant parts

Within our 10 raised garden beds is an educational garden displaying the six different plant parts you can eat: root, stem, leaf, flower, seed and fruit. Come learn about the different plant parts you can eat in this garden and then explore the rest of our garden and see if you can figure out what plant part you are eating.

What’s growing and when

These are just a few examples of produce grown at Centennial Farm. Visit us to see other types of crops and learn their uses.