Volunteering in the Bay Area

Oakland
Peoples Grocery What? Peoples Grocery works to build a local food system that improves the health and economy of West Oakland. Their work involves increasing local supply of fresh foods; advocating for living-wage business and job opportunities; and developing strong relationships and community leadership. They have many opportunities to volunteer, in the office, in their urban gardens, in the greenhouse, and at special events. They also have a food justice internship program. How? You can show up any Tuesday from 2:30-5 at the urban garden at 888 59th Street or any Friday from 10-12:30 at the urban garden at 1167 55th street or on Friday from 2-5 at the California Hotel Greenhouse and urban garden on the corner of 35th and San Pablo in West Oakland. For more opportunities, check out [Link]. City Slicker Farms What? The mission of City Slicker Farms is to empower West Oakland community members to meet the immediate and basic need for healthy organic food for themselves and their families by creating high-yield urban farms and backyard gardens and in the process restoring neighborhoods through environmental stewardship and community greening. They have volunteer opportunities, internships, and paid apprenticeships. How? To find out where to go and when, check out their open volunteer hours and locations on their webpage: [Link] O.B.U.G.S. (Oakland Based Urban Gardens) What? O.B.U.G.S mission is to build healthy communities through programs offered to children, youth and families in a network of school and neighborhood gardens, green spaces and farmers markets. They offer education programs and summer camps for youth, a farm stand and resource center and many special events. They have volunteer opportunities in the office, the classroom and the garden. How? Fill out a volunteer application online at [Link] or contact Jessica at (510) 465 4660.

St. Marys Center What? Working with extremely low income seniors, children and families, St. Marys focuses on basic needs so people have food, housing, an education, health resources and the support of a community. A year ago, Christopher Shein and crew tore up the concrete parking lot and planted a great garden and community hang out. How? To help with the maintenance of this garden, come to St. Marys Center at 925 Brockhurst Street near San Pablo every Tuesday morning from 9:30-12:30. You are sure to meet some fun people. [Link] wildheartgardens@[Link] Planting Justice What? A non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA dedicated to food justice, economic justice, and sustainable local food systems. We are the first organization of our kind to combine ecological training and urban food production with a grassroots door-to-door organizing model that will vastly increase our educational community outreach, help us to recruit volunteers, decentralize our fundraising sources, and provide local jobs that also train young community organizers. Whereas edible landscaping and Permaculture have thus far been available only to those who can pay a premium for it, our organizational model enables us to empower economically disadvantaged communities to transform empty lots, paved backyards, and grass lawns into productive organic gardens that serve as living classrooms for community members to practice Urban Permaculture and bio-intensive gardening techniques. How? To intern or volunteer, e-mails plantjustice@[Link] with Volunteer in the subject heading. Oakland Food Connection What? OFC has programs are centered on helping Oakland's youth and adult residents engage with the sources and institutions that produce, distribute, and sell their food: corner stores, farmers markets, grocery stores, and more. How? Volunteer in the school gardens, backyard gardens, lunchtime programs, food parties and more. To fill out an online volunteer

application, go to [Link] Funktown Farms What? Funk Town Farm is a community garden located in the area known to locals as funk town in East Oakland. The garden was started in 2008 behind 219 East 15th Street at 3rd Avenue and two blocks up from Lake Merrit. We are a group of novice and experienced gardeners who want to grow our own produce (and flowers) to use and sell at a sliding scale farm stand on Sunday mornings. We also raise chickens for eggs, as well as involve the community in sponsoring a chicken and composting. How? Stop by the garden any Saturday from 10-2. Check out [Link] Merritt College There are lots of opportunities to volunteer in the Merritt Community Garden, the Permaculture Hillside, the Propagation Club and more! Merritt College, [Link] . Ask Anders for times he is there. andersvidstrand@[Link]

Berkeley BASIL (Bay Area Seed Interchange Library)

What are we doing? BASIL is an attempt to bring together a wide variety of gardeners to lay the foundation for a local seed growers' network that can take responsibility for developing crops and adapting them to our bioregion. Seeds are magical: given proper stewardship, they will acclimate to specific areas over time. By growing them out, we weave the stories of our lives and seeds into an unending chain of community, tradition, and history. [Link]/basil/ Eco House What? EcoHouse is a demonstration home and garden located in a North Berkeley residential neighborhood. Classes, workshops, and tours of the house and garden are designed to teach people from all walks of life how to make their living space more healthy, harmonious, nontoxic, productive, energy and water efficient, carbon neutral, and ecologically

friendly. The Ecohouse has an amazing garden, maintained by Christopher Shein and Ananda Wiegand, and they always appreciate help. How? Stop by 1305 Hopkins Street in North Berkeley on Tuesday afternoons to help Christopher and Ananda with garden maintenance. wildheartgardens@[Link] Edible Schoolyard What? The Edible Schoolyard (ESY), a program of the Chez Panisse Foundation, is a one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom for urban public school students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. How? There are three ways to volunteer at the Edible Schoolyard: volunteer with students in the kitchen or garden classrooms, help maintain the Edible Schoolyard garden with the Wednesday weeding crew, or participate in one of three community garden workdays throughout the school year. There are also Americorps job opportunities. For specific info, check out [Link] Spiral Gardens What? Located at Sacramento and Oregon Streets in Southwest Berkeley, on two blocks of public land at the end of a long-vacant former railroad right of way, Spiral Gardens has a Nursery, Produce Stand, Community Farm, Community Education, and Community Harvest Project. They conduct outreach, education, and plant sales throughout the local community and at local and regional events, including a consistent presence at the Saturday Berkeley Farmers Market. How? They are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays from 10-5. Just stop by and lend a hand in the nursery, community garden or farm stand. The website is: [Link]

Richmond
Richmond Grows Seed Library Take a picture of a plant that you are saving seeds from. We want to hear your story of the plant you saved seeds from. Maybe let us know what dishes you made

with it or share a favorite recipe using the plant. Each month we'd like to highlight something in our collection. You can submit your photos and a little write-up to RichmondGrows@[Link]. And [Link]

Urban Tilth What? Urban Tilth cultivates agriculture in west Contra Costa County to help our community build a more sustainable, healthy, and just food system. They work with schools, community-based organizations, government agencies, businesses, and individuals to develop the capacity to produce 5% of our own food supply. Urban Tilth coordinates 10 small farms and gardens and currently provides technical assistance to 7 community and school gardens across Richmond and San Pablo, California. Each farm or garden project is uniquely rooted in the community where it is located. How? They have community workdays at their gardens, but these are sometimes changing. To find out about their events, check out [Link]. Also associated with Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library: [Link] Richmond Eco Village What? EcoVillage Farm Learning Center, a project of Earth Island Institute, is a non-for-profit organization with a mission to create a healthy sustainable environment and socially/economically just society for present and future generations. EcoVillage Farm Learning Center is a place where urban residents of all cultural backgrounds feel welcome and come to learn through (participatory) mind/hands on activities how to restore and protect Mother Earth and her people. EcoVillage Farm Learning Center is an Oasis of Connectivity in the City of Richmond, a city that is often perceived of as a food, safety and environment desert. Yes! A Farm in Richmond! How? Internships are available. Just call 510 223 1693 or e-mail info@[Link].

San Francisco
The Free Farm What? Since its creation in January, 2010 the Free Farm has become

many different things to many people. Some of the collective intentions are to cultivate the earth by growing fresh organic vegetables, to cultivate ourselves by tending to the well-being of body and mind, soul, and spirit and to cultivate society by creating a microcosm of mutuality, simplicity, generosity, and love. An all volunteer run group turned a parking lot into an amazing farm that grows food to give away to anyone who walks by and at the free farm stand on Sundays. Check out [Link]. How? Stop by the farm at the corner of Eddy and Gough Streets in San Francisco any Wednesday or Saturday from 10-2. Alemany Farm What? Alemany Farm is a 4.5 acre working organic farm in southeastern San Francisco. The Farm is collaboratively managed by volunteers, San Francisco city officials, and residents of the Alemany community. Friends of Alemany Farm (FoAF) is a volunteer-managed project sponsored by the San Francisco Parks Trust. FoAF oversees organic food production at the site, offers workshops and educational courses, coordinates the volunteer efforts, manages a free neighborhood produce delivery, and hosts field trips for children and adults. How? Everyone, young or old, experienced or still learning, is welcome to join our community workdays held from noon to 5pm, every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month, the Saturdays in-between (thats the 2nd, 4th, and sometimes 5th weekend), plus every Monday afternoon from 1:00-5:00. Mondays are my favorite day, as Merritt Colleges Ken Litchfield is there and it is more permaculture style. The address is 992 Ellsworth Street in the St. Marys Recreation Center. Check out [Link] for directions and more information. Hayes Valles Farm What? Hayes Valley Farm is a 2.2-acre non-profit community-run farm and urban agriculture education and research project located in the heart of San Francisco. Since January, 2010 the community has been turning a freeway ramp into a farm. How? Just show up at 450 Laguna Street (at Fell) on Sundays: 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Volunteer Orientation and Site tour: 1 pm Tuesdays: 6 pm - 8 pm - Kitchen Garden Workshop and Potluck Dinner

Thursdays: 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm - Volunteer Orientation and Site tour: 3 pm Check out [Link] for more information

All around cool

East Bay Food Not Bombs A non-profit, volunteer run anarchist style awesome organization that serves hundreds of people a free vegan healthy meal every day of the week. Serving in Peoples Park, Berkeley, M-F at 3 and in Oakland S-Su. Check out [Link] to find out when and where you can help cook. It is volunteers like you who make this all possible. There is also a FNB in San Francisco.

Common Vision Common Vision helped plant the fruit trees on the Merritt Permaculture Hill. Every spring they tour for two months on a big bus planting trees and much more. In the last 7 years, the Fruit Tree Tour Program has directly impacted 60,000 students, transformed over 180 low income schools and community centers into abundant orchards with the planting of over 4,300 fruit trees. You could be part of this tour, just fill out a volunteer application on their website, [Link]