City Slicker Farms

One of the great things about the City Slicker Farms Backyard Garden program is that West Oakland families and community groups get to grow food right in their own backyards. But what about those who don't have a yard and still want to grow food? We've found some pretty creative solutions over the years -- from raised beds on concrete patios to window container gardens to shared gardens between neighbors -- but when we purchased the site of the West Oakland Farm Park, we realized we had a unique opportunity to create a space not just for our staff to grow food, but for community members to grow their own as well, by building a community garden.

Long-time volunteers and master carpenters Matt Wolpe and Dov Osheroff designed the raised beds, and on a rainy January weekend, they led two community workdays to construct the garden. A group of In Good Company volunteers from local businesses Clif Bar, Amy's Kitchen, Klean Kanteen, Annie's, and Veritable Vegetable spent the first day cutting lumber, drilling holes, and building the boxes. A smaller crew of Farm Park Council members and Food Justice Allies finished up the following day, hammering the boxes into the ground and installing the finishing touches.

The 14 beds, which will each be divided into two 'plots,' are high enough to make them accessible for the many elders who have applied for a space in the garden. They also have several new features to make them stronger and more durable, including rods in the center to prevent the sides from bowing in and corners reinforced with metal.

Now that the community garden is built, we're accepting applications and getting ready to welcome 28 new gardeners and their families to the Farm Park. If you know anyone who is interested in joining a community garden, click here for more information.

In-kind materials support by: