Photos courtesy of Oakland Food Connection

Jason Harvey, founder of the Oakland Food Connection is aiming for a fruitful summer. In the works are three new gardens, a revamped website, community events, food parties and a booth at the Eat Real festival.

At a time when Oakland Food Connection, or OFC - an organization dedicated to promoting nutritional awareness and access to healthy foods - could benefit from having more equipment, most of its gear was stolen about a week ago.

Harvey said someone broke into the organization's bus that was loaded with supplies for the next day’s gardening work and cleaned it out. He said it had taken five years to collect $1,500 worth of hoses, shovels, electric saws and hand saws.

The tools were more than just OFC's. Harvey explained its partner organizations depend on OFC to bring the supplies needed to build and maintain the gardens.

He didn’t let his anger or disappointment stall his mission.

“I sat with it overnight and decided to turn it into a moment of healing,” he said.

Harvey wrote a fundraising letter the next day and distributed it on Facebook. He said often people look for critical moments to donate to organizations when they know their contribution will actually save the businesses.

He said within six hours, OFC received $600; the next day $300 was donated. People have not only donated tools and given money, but have offered ideas and encouraging words of support. He said after seeing this, he was confident the necessary $1,500 would be replaced.

“I’m proud and grateful that hundreds of people support the organization and stepped up to help us move our work forward,” Harvey said.

Now that OFC is five years old, Harvey said it’s time to move beyond the need to jump on every opportunity that comes along to ensure ongoing donations and relying on fundraisers to survive. He said OFC has raised only 30 percent of this year’s funding and the fiscal year is more than halfway over. 

Harvey is working to secure a capacity-building grant so he can take a step back and focus with consultants to make OFC stronger and more efficient. The grant will give him the opportunity to get the professional support he wants to create strategic plans, develop the board of directors and funding programs. He said he’s ready to learn and put in place smarter ways to run the business.

OFC's summer plans include:

•    A booth in the Eat Real festival in Jack London Square in August
•    Two community gardening events in July and August – dates to be announced
•    A new website
•    An open house party
•    Building a community garden with East Oakland Boxing Association in East Oakland, near Brookfield Village
•    Building two school gardens at Thurgood Marshall and Laurel Elementary

Help with all of this is on the way in the form of two full-time interns from the University of California, Santa Cruz, studying community development. They’ll work with OFC for six months.

The Oakland Community Farmers Market can now be found just a few feet from its original space in the parking lot of friend and neighbor, Giant Burger, where Harvey said it’s more visible and accessible.

New vendors include a pottery maker and just in time for summer, a fresh fruit popsicle and homemade ice cream stand. 

Harvey said OFC welcomes local vendors to support but acknowledged it’s challenging to find businesses able to sell at this small neighborhood market. Christian Smitherum of Oakland’s Wingwalker’s Baking Company said he had to leave the market because he wasn’t able to sell enough to the local customers. 

Hidden Star Orchards had left until owner Johann Smit could find someone to run the stand. Since Smit stores the produce nearby, OFC will pick up the produce and set up the farm stand at the market. OFC student volunteers and interns will sell the fresh and dried fruits.

This Saturday, as part of the Laurel Solstice Music Festival, the market will feature music along with vendors J & P Organics, Biscotti di Bianchi and the Purple Lawn Café. Ajaya Davidson and Friends will play jazz from noon to 2 p.m. and Uromastyx, a blues band, plays from 2 to 4 p.m.

Visit the Oakland Community Farmers Market every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., located at 4125 MacArthur Blvd., in the parking lot of Giant Burger.

Interested in having a booth? Email info@foodcommunityculture.org or call (510) 482-1898.

For more information or to donate to Oakland Food Connection, visit the website.

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