City Slicker Farms

Farming in cities is not a new concept in the United States, but the infrastructure and knowledge to make urban agriculture a viable source of food has been lost over the past few generations. In contrast, urban agriculture often serves as the sole means of personal and economic survival in less-developed regions of the world. In West Oakland, 36% of our community lives below the poverty line.[i]  We have a real opportunity to support our community not only to grow its own food, but also to prepare for emergent jobs in urban farming and gardening. Since its inception, City Slicker Farms has been closing the knowledge and skills gap for individuals and communities to grow their own food.  Our urban agriculture educational and training programs consist of:

Apprenticeship: This innovative yearlong apprenticeship is based on a traditional rural agricultural apprenticeship.  Apprentices receive intensive urban agriculture training and are given leadership roles in our programs.

Internship: Designed for both youth and adults, internships provide urban agriculture skills-building in a three-month time frame for all levels of experience.  Paid stipends are available for West Oakland youth.  Interns are encouraged to apply for apprenticeships.

Farm Tours and Service Learning: We provide tours and service learning for school and community groups of all ages to learn about urban agriculture and environmental and social issues related to healthy food supply.

Community-Based Workshops: We coordinate workshops for community members interested in learning about urban farming techniques and nutrition.

Volunteering: We host drop-in hours for volunteers of all ages interested in learning about and supporting our Community Market Farms and Backyard Garden Programs.

West Oakland Healthy Eating Guide:  We publish a free booklet with information on our programs, sources for healthy foods, garden and market locations, and topical urban farming articles.  We also provide free advertising for other West Oakland food programs and organizations.

[i] Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community, University of California Santa Cruz. Community Building, Community Bridging. 2004.