Planting Justice

PLANTING JUSTICE IS DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, NUTRITIOUS FOOD BY EMPOWERING DISENFRANCHISED URBAN RESIDENTS WITH THE SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND INSPIRATION TO MAXIMIZE FOOD PRODUCTION, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

COMMERCIAL ORGANIC NURSERY: IN FALL OF 2015, PLANTING JUSTICE PURCHASED ROLLING RIVER COMMERCIAL ORGANIC NURSERY, IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE JOBS AND DEMONSTRATE THE ORGANIZATIONS ABILITY TO PROMOTE AND MANAGE SOCIAL BENEFIT ENTERPRISES THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION WITHOUT NECESSARILY REQUIRING CHARITABLE SUPPORT OR PUBLIC FUNDING. IN ADDITION TO THE COMMERCIAL NURSERY, PLANTING JUSTICE WILL CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE AQUAPONICS GREENHOUSES, WHICH CAN BE REPLICATED ON URBAN LOTS, PAVED AREAS, OR TOXIC SOILS, USING AN INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUE TO GROW VEGETABLES ABOVE SELF-CONTAINED FISH TANKS.

AQUAPONICS FARM. PLANTING JUSTICE ACQUIRED THE HISTORIC NEISHI BROTHERS NURSERY SITE AT 359 105TH AVENUE JUST DOWN THE BLOCK FROM PJ NURSERY, WHICH HAS BEEN VACANT FOR 15 YRS, AS THE SITE FOR ITS AQUAPONICS INCUBATOR FARM. WITH SUPPORT FROM UC DAVIS AQUAPONICS PROGRAM, PJ WILL BUILD AN EDUCATIONAL AQUAPONICS FARM THAT IS ESTIMATED TO PRODUCE 170,000 LBS OF CERTIFIED ORGANIC VEGETABLES HERBS AND OVER 150,000 NURSERY STARTS, EACH YEAR, IN A COMMUNITY THAT CURRENTLY HAS ZERO ACCESS TO ORGANIC, AFFORDABLE PRODUCE. LIKE PJ NURSERY, THIS FARM WILL BE LED BY LONG-TERM RESIDENTS IN DEEP EAST OAKLAND WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, AND AS AN EDUCATIONAL INCUBATOR FARM, ITS GOAL IS TO CREATE A REPLICABLE AND SCALABLE MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, RE-ENTRY JOB CREATION, FRONTLINE BIPOC LEADERSHIP, AND COOPERATIVE LAND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES. UPON COMPLETION, PJ WILL OPEN-SOURCE ITS TECHNOLOGY AND MODEL TO SUPPORT A PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE THAT CAN REPLICATE THIS PROJECT ON EMPTY LOTS THROUGHOUT EAST OAKLAND, OWNED AND OPERATED BY LONG-TERM RESIDENTS MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC SOCIAL INJUSTICE. THIS FARM IS PROJECTED TO CREATE APPROXIMATELY AT LEAST 12 FULL-TIME LIVING-WAGE BENFITTED JOBS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED YOUTH AND ADULTS, RECENT IMMIGRANTS, AND OTHERS WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, WHILE SERVING AS AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER THAT WILL SERVE OVER 1,000 YOUTH AND ADULTS PER YEAR WITH HANDS-ON LEARNING IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURE.

FOOD JUSTICE EDUCATION: THE PLANTING JUSTICE EDUCATION TEAM LEADS WORKSHOPS USING ITS SELF-DESIGNED CURRICULUM IN FOOD JUSTICE, CULINARY ARTS, AND PERMACULTURE DESIGN THAT EMPOWERS PARTICIPANTS WITH THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO TRANSFORM THEIR COMMON SPACES INTO PRODUCTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIC GARDENS.