Small Farmers of Color, Social Entrepreneurship, and Free Community Based Workshops July 3rd at North Oakland Pediatrics

Published on Friday, June 25, 2010
Last updated on 10:18AM, Friday, June 25, 2010
file photo, OL

file photo, OL

 Starting Saturday July 3rd, Phat Beets Produce will join North Oakland Pediatrics in opening a new Farmers' Market in North Oakland (5715 Market St) rooted not only in sustainable food, but in food justice. The grand opening will feature a variety of organic, pesticide free, and local fruit and vegetable growers, local bakers socially grounded food businesses, local crafts as well as live jazz music, live art, and free cooking demos.

“Many kids don’t know what fresh food looks like,” Dr. Gary Bean said to Oakland Local, “A generation of people has not received information or resources for healthy eating.” Dr. Gary Bean runs the Arlington Medical Center at North Oakland Pediatrics and is the visionary behind this farmers' market for the neighborhood and his patients. Dr. Bean was born and raised in Oakland and grew up going to this clinic, which he described as a “as a focal point for African-American physicians” in Oakland, Ca.

Partnering with Dr. Bean is Phat Beets Produce, a North Oakland Collective that operates three other projects in North Oakland including a farmers' market in partnership with the Healthy Hearts(youth obesity prevention) Clinic at the Children's Hospital Oakland as well as the nation's first clinic based youth vegetable garden. Phat Beets Produces mission is to connect small farmers to urban communities.

Phat Beets Produce is expecting 12-15 vendors to launch this market and will expand the market to reflect the interest and needs of the surrounding neighborhood. There will be free weekly workshops ranging from tenants rights workshops to urban ag workshops on backyard egg production.

Participating social businesses incubator programs include JP Organics of ALBAFarmers.org , Breadproject.org, and LaCocina.

A community meeting will be held on Monday June 28th from 6-7pm at 5175 Market St @ in the Arlington Medical Center waiting room.

About Oakland Food Policy Council
The mission of the Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) is to establish an equitable and sustainable food system in Oakland, California. The OFPC will: * Strive to ensure access to healthy, affordable food within walking distance of every Oakland resident; * Bring underserved neighborhoods to the food policy table and increase “food literacy” among Oakland residents; * Put food, hunger, and food systems on the City of Oakland’s agenda and contribute to the national dialog on food policy; * Turn the Oakland food system into an engine for local economic development and involve local and regional agricultural communities.