There are 16 Urban Edible Gardens throughout Oakland, California. For more information on the EdibleGardens, or one of the fifteen other garden locations provided by City of Oakland, please contact Community Gardening Coordinator Peter Collier at [email protected] or visit http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/opr/s/cgardening/index.htm
The Community Gardening Program is a year round program which provides residents of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds steward equitably distributed plots of land to grow organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers. This program empowers participants to meet their need for health, recreation, good nutrition, job skills, community security, and natural beauty. This Parks and Recreation program works in partnership with school gardens, youth service programs, horticultural career training, and Oakland's dedicated community gardeners. They welcome volunteers and donations of gardening supplies The program is located at 1520 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, California, 94612. They can be reached by telephone at 510.238.2197.
Below is a partial list of these community gardens:
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ALAMEDA COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS: Committed to growing plants that thrive in Alameda County. Their workdays are every second and fourth Saturday from 11am to 1pm and every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm where they are available to answer garden related questions. On the last Saturday of the month from 12 to 1pm you can expect some scintillating lectures on various gardening topics. For a complete schedule visit their website at: http://acmg.ucdavis.edu/Demonstration_Gardens/Lakeside_Trials_Garden/
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MERRITT COLLEGE: Grows food for community food banks and offers free classes in urban community gardening every Wednesday from 9:30am to noon. http://merrittlandhort.com/urban-community-gardening
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VICTORY GARDEN FOUNDATION’S PEOPLE’S VICTORY GARDENS: These gardens meet the need for communities to be more self reliant and learn to garden with a purpose. There are three (3) garden plots: 1) Small Spaces Garden where you learn how to grow edibles in a variety of small spaces for little to no cost; 2) Food Pantry Garden where it’s a different garden style: Square Foot Gardening and the volunteers harvest and send their abundance to an Oakland food pantry; and 3) Edible Landscaping Garden where you learn to design a sustainable food forest integrating edibles into an existing ornamental garden space.. Mentored work days and education sessions are every first and third Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm and every second and fourth Wednesday from 1pm to 2:30pm.Visit their website for topics and schedule changes: http://www.peoplesvictorygarden.org/apps/calendar
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TODDLER GARDEN: The Toddler Garden, with fun garden demos for kids ages 4 and under. All workshops begin at 10am: All About Strawberries! on 4/27; What Do Plants Need To Grow? on 5/25; Ladybugs! on 6/15; Worms! on 7/27… and join us for more toddler-based garden workshops throughout the fall! Email [email protected] to get on the mailing list for notification of events or to apply for a plot.
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ST PAUL’S SCHOOL: Middle school students growing produce for low income seniors and learning to care for the earth as part of the school’s service learning curriculum. Their workdays are every Tuesday and Friday from 2:10pm to 3:15pm. During the summer months, youth enrolled in programs with the City’s Office of Parks and Recreation tend this budding garden space.
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PLANTING JUSTICE: Dedicated to economic and food justice through support of sustainable local food systems. Their workday is the second Sunday of the month. Check out their website for more information: http://www.plantingjustice.org/
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FURIOUS DANCING GARDEN: The New Bill Barham & Co. Multicultural Gardeners and Poets Collective is putting in motion the literary soul of planting, nurturing and ever-changing garden landscape conversation. They are preparing to launch their season of workdays and demos, which will consist of literary events in the garden, beginning in April 2013. Contact Bill if interested in helping with his garden work by email at [email protected].
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COMMUNITIES ROOTING TOGETHER: Bringing the Cambodian Women’s Group together to plant food crops from their native home. Workdays are every Friday from 10am to 12noon and demos are the first Thursday of the month from 10am-12pm. Contact Zack Reidman for involvement: [email protected]
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CHEF ROBERT DORSEY III: Cultivating gardens with the youth ofOakland’s “Junior Chef Society” as a peaceful solution to combat issues of hunger and violence inOakland communities. Workdays are every second and fourth Saturday from 11am to 1pm. Contact Chef Dorsey for more information at rd3
@chefrobertdorsey.com
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HOPE COTTAGE: Sets of seniors with their grandchildren steward this garden plot adjacent to the South entrance of the Gardens at Lake Merritt. Their plot mixes flowers, herbs, and vegetables to present an attractive display to all who enter – regulars and first timers alike! Contact Sharon for more details on volunteer participation: [email protected].
