Urban Tilth

The goal of the Lincoln School Farm pilot project is to develop a new model of school garden meeting the following criteria:

•be affordable enough to be replicated at any school;

•produce enough organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs to actually improve the food supply of the school community;

•focus first on teaching students how to produce significant amounts of their own organic food. State academic content standards in science and nutrition will be addressed within the context of an on-going, meaningful engagement in food production practice, rather than through abstract lessons.

This model of an affordable school farm which impacts the local food supply by empowering participants to become food producers could become an important strategy in the effort to create a more sustainable, healthy, and just food system. Improving the food system is one strategy to addressing several large-scale problems which affect us here in west Contra Costa County—the diabetes and obesity epidemic, global warming, and racial/ethnic disparities in access to healthy food.

The Lincoln School Farm is located on the Richmond Greenway immediately adjacent to Lincoln Elementary School in Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood. The project began in September of 2007. As of September 2008, we have twenty-four 4′x8′ raised garden beds set aside for the Lincoln School Farmers and twenty raised garden beds for the Lincoln Community Gardeners. We have begun developing an edible forest running 150 feet along the north side of the bike path. We have planted 30+ fruit trees (mainly apples, but also cherry, pear, fig, olives, medlar, and plums) and understory plants such as raspberries, gooseberries, borage, sage, thyme, and rosemary.

Urban Tilth is the lead agency of the Lincoln School Farm project, but we have received considerable support from Lincoln Elementary School, Bright Futures afterschool program, the Friends of the Richmond Greenway, and the City of Richmond, Parks and Landscaping Division. We have received corporate financial support from Lowe’s and Patagonia, as well as grants from the Bridgebuilder’s Foundation and the Silbert Foundation. The 5% Local Coalition, Opportunity West, Sports4Kids, and The Watershed Project have also contributed significantly to the project, as well as individuals too many to list. Thank you so much for your support. Your dollars, materials donations, and effort are converted into healthy, fresh organic produce to nourish the Lincoln School Farmers and their families.