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Our Mission
City Slicker Farms' mission is to empower West Oakland community members to meet the immediate and basic need for food security for healthy, organic food for themselves and their families by creating high-yield urban farms and backyard gardens. These spaces provide healthy, affordable food and improve the environment. We seek to serve all West Oakland residents, prioritizing people who have least access. Our farms and gardens demonstrate the viability of a local food-production system, serve as community spaces, empower children and adults who want to learn about the connections between ecology, farming and the urban environment, and give West Oakland residents tools for self-reliance.
*** See videos, podcasts and articles about City Slicker Farms on our Education and Media page. ***
Environmental racism is a daily reality in West Oakland. Not only are kids exposed to lead paint, they also don't get the proper nutrition to create strong bones and minds in the first place. Not only are they suffering from asthma and childhood obesity in increasing numbers, they also don't have safe places to play outdoors. Our gardens are havens where children can experience nature and begin to create healthy eating habits.
Currently many people in our community are are suffering from mild to moderate malnutrition because they lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables and instead eat junk, frozen, and canned foods. The fresh foods City Slicker Farms provides helps reduce health problems caused by exposure to a contaminated environment by adding to our daily diet the necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need. For example, eating calcium-rich leafy-greens we provide year round reduces the body's absorption of damaging lead from peeling paint.
In spite of the fact that West Oakland residents have suffered greatly from economic discrimination and racism over the decades, this community still has it's own answers, knowledge, and wisdom. At City Slicker Farms, our vision is to bring together a diverse group of residents to build community connections and increase access to healthy foods. By growing food in the city, we are contributing to better eating habits, increasing the sustainability of our local food system and improving the environment.
Helping the Community Grow With:
Saturday Farm Stand: Offering a seasonal variety of organic produce, eggs, honey, & herbs. We also provide vegetable starts to grow your own food at home.
Composting: Drop off your kitchen scraps to create soil amendment, or learn how to make your own.
Workshops: Learn about gardening, herbs, composting, cooking, & more!
BBQ's& other Events: Freshly-picked from the garden or freshly-baked in the wood burning oven,it's all good at a City Slickers Farm party! Come down & get down!
Backyard Gardens: City Slicker Farms builds and maintains backyard vegetable gardens for low-income residents of West Oakland.
City Slicker Farms was founded by local residents and is sustained by community participation at all levels. We honor the contribution African American residents have made and continue to make to the history and culture of West Oakland, while celebrating the growing presence of Latino and Asian communities. Through supporting historical residents and people of color, we advocate for food justice and strengthen our community's ability to resist the forces of gentrification and displacement. City Slicker Farms works to improve the overall quality of life in West Oakland by collaborating with a variety of other Oakland organizations.
Contact us: 1625 16th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
ph.510.763.4241 * info@cityslickerfarms.org