Seeds are planted
On Sunday July 2nd a crew of staff, interns and volunteers all headed out to the Sunol farm and planted a full acre of crops. We were belssed with a cool breeze that held up until the afternoon. People were really working well together to get the planting done and a bunch of innovations were developed on the spot to make it all go smoother. (For example, one guy figured out how to plant two rows simulataneously instead of just one at a time). Check out the photos from this workday on the farm: Sunol farm 07-02-06
We planted two long rows of a variety of heirloom tomatoes, 4 long rows of butter nut squash, 6 long rows of cantalope and about 5 long rows of a variety of watermelons. We expect alot of food from the harvesting of these crops, which will begin in late August and carry through to late September. The butter nut squash will be ready in late December.
All of this food will be distributed to residents in West Oakland to increase their consumption of fresh fruits & vegetables. (Did you know that watermelons are the second most nutritious fruit after Guava?) Some portion will also be sold to a variety of market outlets, grocery stores and restaurants to help raise money to cover the expenses of the farm.
We’re looking for one or two restaurants to partner with. If you know of any restaurants in the Bay Area that would be interested in purchasing produce from a nonprofit farm that employs young people and promotes food justice for the inner city please contact me at brahm@peoplesgrocery.org - or just add a comment below.
