Planting Justice

PLANTING JUSTICE URBAN FARM ENTERPRISES

ADVANCING NEXT GENERATION URBAN FARMERS: EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, MENTORING, AND EMPLOYMENT

MANY LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN OAKLAND, RICHMOND AND EL SOBRANTE STRUGGLE WITH FOOD INSECURITY AND ACCESS TO HEALTHY AFFORDABLE FOODS. AT THE SAME TIME, SMALL FARMERS ARE CHALLENGED BY A LACK OF ACCESS TO MARKETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT PRODUCE AND VALUE-ADDED PRODUCT SALES. PLANTING JUSTICE'S EQUITY FOR SMALL LOCAL GROWERS: CREATING ACCESS THROUGH MARKET EXPANSION PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH A SALES PLATFORM FOR SMALL GROWERS THROUGH THE DAILY OPERATION OF A FARMERS' MARKET TRUCK AND WEEKLY FARMERS' MARKET AS WELL AS THE EXPANSION OF ONLINE RETAIL TO INCLUDE VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS, WITH THE GOAL OF DECREASING FOOD DISPARITIES AND INCREASING THE PREVALENCE OF DIRECT PRODUCER TO CONSUMER MARKETS FOR BAY AREA PRODUCERS. THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO ESTABLISH A WEEKLY FARMERS MARKET AT PLANTING JUSTICE'S THE GOOD TABLE SITE IN EL SOBRANTE THAT WILL BRING TOGETHER AT LEAST SEVEN (7) PRODUCERS AND SERVE 200 CUSTOMERS/WEEK; ESTABLISH A FARMERS' MARKET TRUCK ROUTE WITH STOPPING POINTS IN EAST OAKLAND AND RICHMOND, CA THAT WILL GIVE MARKET ACCESS TO AT LEAST FIVE (5) BAY AREA BASED FARMERS, AND SERVE 15,600 CUSTOMERS/YEAR; EXPAND PLANTING JUSTICE'S ONLINE SALES TO INCLUDE SALES OF VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM AT LEAST FIVE (5) PRODUCERS, REACHING 2000 CUSTOMERS/YEAR; AND PROVIDE ONLINE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES TO AT LEAST TEN (10) TOTAL PRODUCERS THAT FIT THE DEFINITION OF NEW, BEGINNING OR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS.

OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, PLANTING JUSTICE HAS DESIGNED SELF-FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT CREATE LIVING WAGE JOBS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE AND LOW-INCOME YOUTH THAT ARE TRANSFORMING THE CA BAY AREA'S FOOD SYSTEM, WHILE DEMONSTRATING PRACTICAL AND REPLICABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE INTERCONNECTED ECONOMIC/HEALTH/ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES PLAGUING URBAN COMMUNITIES.FOR THIS NEW PROJECT, PLANTING JUSTICE IS COLLABORATING WITH MIRA VISTA UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST TO BUILD A "PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN" CAFE, HEALTHY FOODS MARKETPLACE, RETAIL NURSERY, URBAN FARMSTORE, AND COMMUNITY CENTER ON A 1.3 ACRE HISTORIC NURSERY IN EL SOBRANTE THAT WILL CREATE LIVING-WAGE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT. THE CAFE/MARKETPLACE WILL SOURCE HEALTHY PRODUCE AND VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM A NETWORK OF BEGINNING FARMERS AND FOOD JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN A COOPERATIVE MARKETING PLATFORM THAT SUPPORTS THE ENTIRE REGION WITH BRICK-AND-MORTAR HEALTHY RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL KITCHEN ACCESS. THE RETAILNURSERY WILL MAKE CLIMATICALLY RESILIENT AND NUTRIENT DENSE PLANTS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, WHILE SUPPORTING NURSERY OPERATIONS THAT CREATE LIVING-WAGE JOBS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE AT PJ'S 2-ACRE PRODUCTION AND MAIL-ORDER NURSERY IN EAST OAKLAND. PRODUCE AND EDIBLE PLANT STARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE VIA SNAP AND EBT, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING WILL TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO GROW THEIR OWN HEALTHY FOOD, CULINARY ARTS, AND NUTRITION. THESE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED: 1) DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TWO OR MORE SECTORS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM; 2) SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS: 3) DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NONPROFIT SECTORS; 4) INCREASING FOOD SELF-RELIANCE OF COMMUNITIES; AND 5) ENCOURAGING LONG-TERM PLANNING ACTIVITIES AND COMPREHENSIVE MULTI-AGENCY APPROACHES.

URBAN AG SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INCUBATION FOR FOOD AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

THE URBAN RESILIENCE FARM

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

BUILDING BEGINNING FARMER RESILIENCE THROUGH HYBRID PARTICIPATORY EDUCATION, URBAN-RURAL NETWORKS, MENTORSHIP, AND INCUBATION