A new food sovereignty project led by Phat Beets and partnering organizations is connecting internationally and internally displaced farmers living in Oakland to peri-urban public land. The Pinole Creek Incubator Farm, located 20 minutes outside of Oakland nestled in the beautiful hills between the city of Pinole and Briones, will be celebrating its Grand Opening with a Land Based Earth Day Celebration Sunday, April 21st from 2-6 PM. Read on for more details about how you can be part of this celebration and project.
Whether you plan to catch the provided shuttle from Orinda BART, or use your own transportation, the drive out to the farm is in itself worth celebrating. The multitude of rolling hills, and story-book painted green is mesmerizing, making you almost forget the urban landscape that lies just a few miles behind. It is here that the partnership between lu-Mien Village Farms, Eritrean Family Farms, PUEBLO, International Rescue Committee, Phat Beets Produce and EBMUD has culminated in a project aimed at improving food sovereignty for locally and internationally displaced communities through collective stewardship of public lands. As Lew Chien, a Mien farmer and organizer of Iu-Mien Village farms highlights: “Before, there were no local farms. I know a lot of people who have small gardens, but not space like this to grow their food. The food only came from outside the community and it is so valuable to produce local, to sell food the community supports and support the community with locally produced food.”
Come out and meet the farmers, learn how to support the small farmer incubation program, sign up for the farm CSA (community supported agriculture box), and join us for a land based Earth Day Celebration on Sunday, April 21st. The event will feature a land blessing ceremony in honor of the farm and its history of supporting several generations of farmers, as well as music, planting activities and free food! For more information and to RSVP for the Orinda BART pick-up shuttle service contact pinolefarm@phatbeetsproduce.org or visit www.pinolefarmproject.wordpress.com
Who: Iu-Mien Village Farms, Eritrean Family Farms, PUEBLO, International Rescue Committee, Phat Beets Produce and EBMUD
What: Land Based Earth Day Celebration and Pinole Creek Farm Grand Opening
When: Sunday, April 21st 2013, 2 – 6 PM
Where: Pinole, Ca. Get directions here.
Why: Meet peri-urban farmers, learn how to support the small farmer incubation program, sign up for the farm CSA (community supported agriculture box), and join the Pinole Creek Incubator Farm for a land based Earth Day Celebration
[Photo from Phat Beets]
