The peaches and nectarines are ripe and ready to pick at the Burbank Community Garden in Oakland.

The garden has been revitalized through a collaboration between West Oakland Youth Standing Empowered - WYSE - Planting Justice and the East Lake YMCA after-school program at Explore College Preparatory school.

Before the first planting, volunteers dug three water-harvesting swales along the downhill slope to sink rainwater into the earth and build up the water table level underground. Then, in one day, 80 students planted 24 fruit trees, including apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, pluots and lemons.

Throughout the school year, a core group of 12 middle school students continued to develop the fruit orchard into a perennial food forest by planting fava beans, artichokes, rhubarb, strawberries, yarrow and native flowers around the trees. The students also built an annual vegetable garden on the black-top of their school yard. Sixth grader Sabrina Williams said, “First we had to build those beds the plants go in. After that, we started planting, like tomatoes and peas.”

Planting Justice and WYSE led a weekly after-school program for the students called “Food Justice and Culinary Arts.” The students examined the structural inequalities of the industrial food system, reflected on their collective responsibilities to social justice and were empowered to create tangible solutions that build community and self-esteem.

“I like making the greens that we fry, and we made some asparagus with hot sauce on it," Erica Jackson said. "Oh yeah! I guess I learned that anybody can make a garden, no matter how poor the school is or even if its closing down.”

At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Explore College Preparatory school was closed. But the plants continue to grow strong in the Burbank Community Garden.

WYSE and Planting Justice knocked on more than 50 doors in the neighborhood to gather support, build awareness about the coming harvest and to gain feedback from the community. Earlier this summer, neighboring residents and the former students were invited out to a free, educational work-party to learn, watch and help plant nine grape vines between the rows of fruit trees.

As communities of color in Oakland continue to suffer disproportionately from health-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, the students and neighbors of Burbank Garden are empowered with the skills, resources and inspiration to grow food in community and find entrepreneurship opportunities, which support a sustainable and just economy. They plan on adding persimmons, avocados, other citrus and more companion plants this fall. The Burbank Community Garden will be providing food and a sacred space for neighboring residents for decades to come.

To learn more, to support this work and if you live in the neighborhood and want to be invited to free, educational work-parties at Burbank Community Garden, contact info@plantingjustice.org or check out Planting Justice and WYSE.