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Our Programs

Urban Agriculture & Education

Urban Tilth is committed to training and employing local youth, as well as adults in the skills necessary to grow our own food locally and organically. We offer a range of K-12 urban agriculture programs, as well as educational and community engagement opportunities for West Contra Costa residents.

For More information about our Urban Agriculture and Education programs visit the links below:

Community Greening

Urban Tilth helps to raise and sustain community gardens, coordinate regular volunteer and community special events to educate community members and enrich their knowledge of urban agriculture, healthy cooking as well as local environmental and food justice issues.

Martin Luther King National Day of Service

The annual Martin Luther King National Day of Service on the Richmond Greenway brings together  hundreds of community members to expand, improve and install new gardens along the Richmond Greenway.

Edible Streetscapes: Greening the Santa Fe and Iron Triangle Neighborhoods

The Edible Streetscapes is a Pilot Project based out of the Leadership High School where students identify open public spaces along West Contra Costa sidewalks and streets and replace dead or inedible vegetation with edible, low-maintenance berries, plants and fruit trees. This project contributes to the goals of the 5% Local Coalition as well as to the general beautification of the county.

Garden Raising Parties and Garden Technical Assistance Program

In addition to Urban Tilth’s organizational programs, we also provide garden technical assistance and training to schools, churches, and organizations across West Contra Costa County upon their request. Urban Tilth staff members are available to assist in garden creation, maintenance, and troubleshooting for local gardeners, as well as provide training in these areas. We have provided and continue to provide garden tech assistance to the following organizations.

  • Greater Richmond Interfaith Partnership Garden (GRIP)
  • Crestmont Parent Co-op
  • Friends of the Richmond Greenway
  • Opportunity West/SAGE
  • Richmond College Prep Charter School/Nystrom School
  • Khmhu Community Garden
  • Making Waves Charter School
  • Richmond High School
  • Leadership High School
  • Verde Partnership Garden
  • Humboldt Edible Forest
  • Peres Elementary School
  • Lake Elementary School
  • Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church
  • RYSE Center

For more information about our Community Greening programs follow the links below:

  • Community Foraging Gardens: Berryland, Lincoln Community Garden and Humboldt Edible Forest
  • SPECIAL EVENTS: Martin Luther King National Day of Service on the Richmond Greenway
  • Edible Streetscaping – Pilot Project (Leadership High School)
  • Richmond Greenway Fruit Tree Stewards and Fruit Exchange Co-op
  • Garden Raising Parties and Technical Assistance Program
  • New! Edible Forest pilot project

Public Policy

Urban Tilth is committed to active participation in the public policy decisions made regarding food justice, nutrition and urban agriculture in West Contra Costa County. To honor that commitment we are working with local businesses and city council to develop an Urban Agriculture Ordinance that reflects intelligent guidelines for raising locally grown food. In addition, our participation in the Foodshed Council brings us together with organizations across West Contra Costa County to develop policy recommendations of local food justice issues.

  • Urban Agriculture Ordinance
  • Foodshed Council
  • 5% Local Coalition
  • Soda Fee Initiative

Fiscal Sponsorships

Urban Tilth envisions West Contra Costa County as a healthy and vibrant community with ample access to locally grown, organic food, plenty of jobs and programs for youth. We know that we cannot achieve this goal alone. In order to realize this vision, Urban Tilth partners with organizations across West Contra Costa County build strong collaborations that can provide a strong support network to each organization. We also offer fiscal sponsorship to nascent organizations with similar or complimentary goals.