We are excited to announce that after an exhaustive selection process we have chosen Byrens & Kim Design Works as our principal Architect, and lead of the North Richmond Farm Design Team! 

We chose this small local firm because of their passion for innovation and sustainable design, depth of interest in our project, their strong team members and quite frankly their 'can do' approach. 

We are confident that Byrens & Kim Design Works will deliver a visionary project that demonstrates the best thinking on sustainability and energy conservation while creating a healthy and welcoming space worthy of the strong, passionate and beautiful community of North Richmond. 

As we enter into August 2015 we will begin preparing to take this beautiful Conceptual Design prepared by Daniel Miller of Spiral Gardens and transform it into our final project design. 

This fall help us complete this design by participating in a series of Community Design Feedback events. We need your thoughts and ideas to make sure this project serves our community well.

 This June, with the generous support of the California Endowment, The Strong Family Foundation and the Coastal Conservancy we launched our exciting new program, Basins of Relations Watershed Restoration Technician Program. Named in honor of inspiring work of Brock Dolman and his Water Institute and publish work "Basins of Relations". This program trains young people from West Contra Costa County, especially North Richmond,  to become stewards of their watersheds, communities, and the creeks that run through them. 

Each year, this program employs and trains Watershed Restoration Technician (WRT) team capable of contributing to restoration projects and leading watershed awareness programs in West Contra Costa County. Over the course of a summer training program and a year-long paid apprenticeship, the WRT team will develop a set of skills and expertise that will help them support their local watershed, their community, and their own career. 

In the first two months of the program the group has participated in a wide-range of activities, ranging from learning to identify native plants and wildlife, to visiting the Bay Model, or exploring Watershed concepts with Brock Dolman, learning about pristine stream conditions in the Sunol Wilderness to co-leading a community healing hike with Outdoor Afro. 

Over 200 volunteers from Clifbar came out to AdamsCrest Farm on June 9th to build out some much needed infrastructure for the garden. For 8 hours, in the rain, this impeccable crew installed 3 shade structures, 3 green houses, a bee sanctuary, tools leans, & more!

Urban Tilth is excited to partner with West Contra Costa Unified School District to solve two problems at once. 1) Pour drainage around a Verde Elementary portable building and 2) A need for water for our school garden in a time of drought. With a little ingenuity and vision we are working together to capture any rainwater that falls on the building and save it in a 1000 gallon tank installed by the district for use by the Verde School Garden! Challenges really are opportunities. 

We look forward to updating you on the progress of this new and timely partnership and project.

The Richmond Food Policy Council (RFPC) is very excited to announce that the two salad bars have arrived at the WCCUSD for our 1st two plight schools Peres Elementary and Nystrom Elementary!

As part of the Richmond Food Policy Council's mission to create an equitable food system that provides healthy food for all people living in Richmond, the Council launched the  Healthy School Food campaign. This student and community-driven initiative identifies and implements strategies to bring fresh, healthy meals, including locally grown produce via salad bars, to every student in Richmond and the larger West Contra Costa County Unified School District.

Our first success was a unanimous vote by our City Council to support our campaign and their subsequent signing on of our community Letter of Support. It is truly an honor having their support and equally as rewarding to know that the Richmond City Council, as outlined by the Richmond General Plan, is in favor of the health and well-being of our children.

Our second success was gathering 1239 signatures in our community petition drive !!

A special shout out to all the youth who beat the pavement gathering signatures for the campaign. Also, thank you Yes Nature to Neighborhoods, Bay Area Community Resources, the RYSE Center, for their awesome Youth Engagement work and Weigh of Life for truly helping to activate parents.

As a result of our partnership with Contra Costa Unified School District Food Services Director, Barbara Jellison and all of our collective efforts thus far, we are very excited to announce that we have received the 1st two salad bar units for Peres and Nystrom Elementary! We will be working with the Food Services staff to make sure these new units are up and running for the 2015 -2016 school year! Thank you, to all the parents and school site staff for your commitment to our children's health.