I started the Oakland Food Connection (OFC) at the age of 25 to inspire youth and adults to “become active in the local food system movement by reclaiming their human-right to access healthy food through Food Justice.”  OFC’s mission is to promote nutritional awareness, access to healthy foods and the connections between people and our planet. Through urban farming and more, me and my staff empower youth ages 5-18 to be food producers, rather than mere consumers. Exploring the impact it has on our personal health, OFC’s approach delves into the social inequalities of inadequate access to nutritional food low income communities of color in East Oakland in particular.

My main goal is to inspire more Oaklanders to work together to create a food system of community-run gardens, farmers markets and food-based micro enterprise projects that rely more on community residents participation than on corporate marketing.  OFC currently supports eleven backyard gardens and four school gardens: Oakland Unity High, E.C. Reems Academy, Laurel Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Elementary. Moreover, on Saturdays, from 10am – 2pm, OFC sponsors the Oakland Community Farmer’s Market, located at 4215 MacArthur Boulevard, as a hub for certified local growers and artisans to offer their fresh produce, health products and services to the community.  OFC operates three food booths that sell everything from fresh meals to healthy bulk goods such as teas, beans, rice, grains and spices. At this farmers market, OFC also offers fresh produce, free from its garden projects and free meals from The Purple Lawn Cafe on a donation basis, in effort to raise more awareness and financial resources for its education programs.  Overall, OFC’s main effort is to offer the lowest cost, pesticide-free foods to Oaklanders in support of their health.

OFC works mainly in the East Oakland “flatlands,” a low-income community in Oakland, California, with a four-mile geographic focus stretching from 35^thAvenue to 107^th Avenue and MacArthur Blvd. The neighborhood has over 100,000 residents, 97% of whom are people of color. In East Oakland, for instance, liquor stores far outnumber grocery stores. Diabetes rates are about three times that of the average county rate. The vast majority of those cases are Type II diabetes, which is directly linked to obesity and a lack of exercise. East Oakland also faces a very low level of education and an alarming rate of poverty. Approximately 33% of residents participate in CalWorks (welfare) or Medi-Cal, and 40% of adults do not have a high school degree [source: East Oakland Community Information Book, Alameda County Public Health Dept., 2001]. Environmental factors in the area include high levels of air pollution coming from diesel emissions, contaminated soil from industrial waste, and a general absence of parks and places to experience nature.

I am an African American man, born and raised in East Oakland. I founded OFC in 2005 to address the disparities that had directly impacted me, my family, and my community. I felt compelled to organize residents to overcome the tremendous health, economic, and environmental challenges faced by the neighborhood. Since its inception, OFC has taught local residents to grow their own food in over twenty-five public and backyard spaces, helping them to access healthy, affordable foods that are grown by nearby farmers without chemical inputs. By working with schools and community groups, OFC effectively empowers and educates its constituents through youth internships, outreach events, school-based programs, and involvement in policy-making initiatives.

Oakland Food Connection hosts monthly Community Food Parties in an effort to stimulate an explosion of grassroots food justice organizing in Oakland. OFC’s next event is scheduled for Sunday, August 22nd ~ 11am-2pm. The brunch’s theme is “Oakland and the roots of the food justice movement” and has less than 25 seats available. All of our food for this event is sourced from local farms: J&P Organics, Hidden Star Orchards and OFC’s backyard and school gardens that use beyond organic practices. You’ll meet fellow Food Justice movement builders and supporters while  enjoying a bountiful summer menu of delicious delectable foods prepared by surprise special guest chefs Paul Plotkin and Gramcrackah!

As a centerpiece of this month’s gathering, a thought dialogue will be facilitated by leading Food Justice activists Nikki Henderson, executive director of Peoples Grocery; Brahm Ahmadi, CEO of People’s Community Market; and myself, founder and executive director of Oakland Food Connection, answering the question “What are the roots of the Food Justice Movement, and what can I do to shift the movement forward in my community?” To purchase a ticket for this event, click here:

This Food Party is a benefit for OFC’s “Healthy Food for All” campaign. Tax-deductible contributions of $25 and over made at the event, will receive a hand-made ceramic bowl or plate from
local ceramic artist, Peter Gee.

Overall, my greatest hope is that in the near future OFC will be able to work with a diverse movement of hundreds of Oakland residents and neighboring organizations to liberate all unused city-owned lots and yards to create urban gardens that can provide healthy green jobs for hundreds of residents, while filling a huge gap in the healthy food supply chain that is the core of addressing violence and its correlation to preventable diseases, such as diabetes and cancer.

For more info, to purchase a ticket for an upcoming food party, to donate, volunteer, and sign up for our newsletter or future events, please visit our website, e-mail info@foodcommunityculture.org or call (510) 482-1898.