With the fall season well underway, visitors descended upon the Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) Farm2Market Harvest Festival on Saturday afternoon, October 21. The celebration at the two-acre urban community farm on Barbers Point Road featured live musical performances and vendors offering freshly prepared food and drink sourced directly from the garden, along with a bouncy house and a pumpkin carving station for the younger crowd.
“It’s our annual showcase of the farm,” said Polly, one of the many volunteers working the event, as she rotated an apple cider press and beckoned passersby—including myself—to try the sugary-sweet drinks. She commended Farm2Market manager Johnny Bootlace for turning the farm around this year to produce a plentiful harvest and maintain the farm as a “green oasis” for the community.
Bootlace, who hails from the Central Valley and has an extensive background in farming, credited the nearly 300 volunteers who perform a host of farm duties each month, ranging from planting to weeding to upkeep.
“We support [APC] residents by providing them with free, healthy, organic vegetables. That includes tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cabbage—and it changes seasonally,” said Bootlace, adding that Farm2Market operates on a “community supported agriculture” (CSA) model that unites food production and consumption.
The farm’s purpose goes beyond providing nutrition. Farm2Market also hosts an on-the-job training program that allows APC to hire local residents to support farm operations. Many, including Jason, were milling around on Saturday to keep the festival running smoothly.
“I’m learning a lot about plants and weeding,” Jason said. “I’ve also been taking classes, and they show us how to improve our resumes. I’m hoping for a better job after this.”
“It’s a chance for them to step into the workforce for the first time, in a supportive environment,” Bootlace explained. “Here, they can see what having a job looks like, and we also offer wraparound services that include support for mental and physical health, financial literacy, and resume building. This is critical, especially for the population we work with.”
Like many attending the festival, Yolanda, an APC resident, expressed gratitude for the farm’s many resources. “It means a lot to have fresh vegetables brought to our door,” she said. “Many of us don’t have immediate access to fresh food.”
Near the rear of the garden, a table of freshly baked apple pies enticed hungry visitors. Jeanine Sidran and Crystal Malone were all smiles as they distributed the decadent pastries and greeted familiar faces. Malone—an aspiring daycare professional who is currently employed by APC—high-fived students she mentors and supports along with APC’s Children and Youth Manager Daniel Miranda.
For Sidran, the farm is a valuable asset that promotes healthy and sustainable eating habits and a key vessel through which the community can help mitigate the effects of climate change. But she believes contributing to the farm as a member of the CSA has had an even greater impact on herself.
“When I step foot on the farm, I’m transformed,” she said. “It changes my life attitude to know I’m working for the community. It means joy!”
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
