Ready to meet the gardeners dismantling systems with shovels and sunflower seeds?
These gardens aren’t just fighting against capitalism and food deserts—they’re also challenging systemic racism. They’re building towards everything from food security, intergenerational connection, and a future where neighborhoods nourish themselves. Imagine tomatoes planted in repurposed tires, marigolds grown from seeds passed down through Oaxacan families, and teens learning to cook meals from the peppers they helped cultivate.
Why These Gardens Matter
They reconnect communities to cultural roots: From West African bitterleaf to Mexican quelites, these gardens honor ancestral crops.
They turn scarcity into creativity: Vacant lots become classrooms; recycled materials become planters.
They prioritize joy.
Meet the Growers
Below, you’ll find gardens and farms across Northern California where Black and Brown leaders are:
Teaching kids to grow (and LOVE) purple string beans.
Hosting free herbalism workshops for holistic health.
Partnering with local schools to build outdoor kitchens.
OAKLAND / EAST BAY
1. Brown Girl Farms (Hayward)
IG: @browngirlfarms
Black queer female owned farm.
Focus: Spreading loving intention through food and flowers.
2. Planting Justice (Oakland)
BIPOC-led collective employing formerly incarcerated folks.
Focus: Permaculture, fruit trees, and food access.
Website: plantingjustice.org
3. Huerta del Valle (Oakland)
IG: @huertadelvalle
Latinx-led garden fighting food apartheid in the Fruitvale.
Focus: Affordable organic produce, cultural crops like nopales.
4. East Oakland Collective - Food Sovereignty Program
Black-led mutual aid hub growing free food for unhoused neighbors.
Focus: Food and supply distribution, homeless services and solutions and economic empowerment.
SAN FRANCISCO
5. Quesada Gardens Initiative (Bayview-Hunters Point)
Website: quesadagardens.org
Black/Brown-led garden in a historically redlined neighborhood. Works to empower residents and create green spaces in underserved areas.
Focus: Art, food, and reclaiming space amid gentrification.
6. Urban Tilth (SF/Richmond)
IG: @urbantilth
Black-and Brown-led organization that creates urban farms, school gardens, and food education programs. Based in Richmond but serves the broader Bay Area, including San Francisco.
Focus: “We help our community grow our own food; train and employ our own young people as “home grown experts”; teach our local residents about the relationships among food, health, poverty, and justice; and forge partnerships with local small farmers to increase demand for their produce.” -urbantilth.org
Website: urbantilth.org
SACRAMENTO
7. Yisrael Family Urban Farm (Sacramento)
Black-owned farm teaching urban agriculture and food justice.
Focus: “Grow Your Own Groceries” workshops. Transforming the Hood for Good with agriculture.
8. Three Sisters Gardens
Website: 3sistersgardens.com
Mission is grounded in traditional Native American values. Food Sovereignty.
Focus: Give back to the community by empowering youth through gardening, and distribution of organic vegetables in their local area. Educational programs.
9. Ujamaa Farmer Collective
A Black-led agricultural organization in the Sacramento area focused on food sovereignty, economic empowerment, and sustainable farming.
Focus: Securing access to resources for the success of Black & Brown farmers in the Sacramento, CA Region.
Website: www.ujamaafarmercollective.org
10. Del Paso Heights Growers’ Alliance
HOW TO SUPPORT
Volunteer: Most gardens need hands!
Donate: Cash, seeds, or tools (check wishlists).
Amplify: Follow, share, and attend their events.
Know of another NorCal community garden or organization not listed? Drop it in the comments! Let’s keep lifting these organizers.
(Note: Always check org websites/socials for updated hours and needs!) ✊🏽🌍
“The land remembers who tends it.”
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