City Slicker Farms

By Andre Solis-Flores, UC Berkeley Alternative Breaks group leader

I first got involved with City Slicker Farms through the UC Berkeley Alternative Breaks Program, a program for students to explore social issues through meaningful service, education, and reflection during their academic breaks. During the 2014-2015 academic year, I was drawn to participate in Alternative Breaks because of the service-learning opportunity it offered to students. I have always been passionate about social justice and wanted to continue learning about different social justice issues. Most importantly, I wanted to learn about my role in social justice movements and the different ways I could engage in critical service. I didn't know a lot about critical service-learning until I was exposed to it through Alternative Breaks. I remember constantly challenging my assumptions about the root causes of social justice issues as a student in of a student-led seminar. I remember intentionally reflecting about the different issues during, after, and before the seminars. I had never stopped to critically think about the 'injustice systems' that maintain social disparities; and as my critical consciousness grew, I became more passionate about becoming a part of movements of resistance. 

While I learned about social justice issues more broadly, my Alternative Breaks experience revolved around food justice issues. I would learn about food injustices in the classroom setting, reflect on them every time I'd enjoy the privilege of eating three meals a day, and engage in meaningful dialogue with my fellow participants. Our learning and reflection culminated in a the week-long service learning trip during spring break. During the trips, we would engage in critical service with community organizations committed to fighting food justice issues. It was then when I met Joseph, the farm manager, and learned about the work of City Slicker Farms. 

City Slicker Farms, like other local food justice organizations, is passionate about eradicating food insecurity in the community of West Oakland. This passion fueled my own, and I decided to continue engaging my peers in food justice work. I wanted to continue learning about the evolution of food insecurity in West Oakland in light of gentrification, and I wanted to do so alongside my peers. I took on the role as a Food Justice co-Break Leader for the 2015-2016 academic year to continue my involvement with food justice movements. As a leader, I have been able to sustain a partnership with City Slicker Farms and witness its growth as an organization and as a stable community pillar. I have been passionate about supporting City Slicker Farms through volunteer work and donations. I hope to continue being involved with City Slicker Farms to see how it will work with the community to combat the changing environment of West Oakland to fight for food justice.

Solis-Flores is a student at UC Berkeley, class of '17. As an Alternative Breaks Food Justice co-Break Leader, she coordinated a group workday to Union Plaza Park in March '16. To find out how you can get involved with City Slicker Farms, including how to sign up your community organization for a volunteer workday, click here.