What do you get when you combine Mayor-elect Jean Quan, City Councilwomen Rebecca Kaplan and Nancy Nadel, indie business owners, lots of loyal supporters along with tasty nibbles and drinks?

Throw in a seven-foot live Christmas tree courtesy of Garden Hortica covered in Oakland Grown logos and a giant squirrel who happens to be a professor that curates a shop (Professor Squirrel Shop) and you get the Nonprofit of the Month Happy Hour Holiday Mixer for Oakland Grown, which was held this past Thursday, Dec. 9, at Farley’s East.

Oakland Grown - a program of the Oakland Merchants’ Leadership Forum - was fortunate enough to snag the coveted December slot at this indie coffeehouse that truly supports community in the Uptown District of Oakland. The excitement the Oakland Grown movement is stirring up this holiday season is growing as folks are signing on to The Great Oakland Grown Holiday Challenge.

The challenge where anyone can sign up and pledge to do up to 100 percent of their holiday shopping at Oakland independent businesses and artists at any dollar amount. Then Oakland Grown will check in after the holidays to see how it went and what the great finds were this year.

Find the OG Holiday Shopping Guide and more about OG members online at OaklandGrown.org and “like” the organization's movement on Facebook!