The holistic framework of the CCRCD’s “Roots to Fruits: Farmer Resilience Workshop” series highlighted a core theme- that the well being of people, especially those who have been historically underserved, and the life-sustaining capacity of the land are deeply interconnected.  

The 3-part workshop series took place Autumn 2023 and brought together 40-50 urban farmers from across Contra Costa County to explore holistic frameworks of collective care, agroecological modes of agriculture, and movement towards a more just and equitable food system.

Workshop 1 was hosted by Growing Together and Vista High School in Richmond, and included reflective mapping of personal vision, struggle, and resilience in the context of land stewardship.  Guest speakers included Wanda Steward from Common Vision and Bioneers’ Nazshonnii Brown-Almaweri, who facilitated activities on plants that connect us to our ancestors and exploration of the intersections between purpose and livelihood within our work.

Workshop 2, hosted by Healthy Hearts Institute at El Pueblo in Pittsburg, was facilitated in partnership with Agroecology Commons and the UC Berkeley Soils Lab. The workshop centered physical practices of soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Breakout sessions included training on compost creation, cover crop seeding, hedgerow plantings, mulching, and more.

Workshop 3 was hosted by Urban Tilth at their North Richmond Farm, and brought together a panel of seasoned farmers, non-profit technical assistance providers, and our land steward cohort to discuss pathways to both sustain and grow the capacity of current and future operations.  

Moving forward, the CCRCD plans to continue the facilitation of partnerships between land-stewards, agency and grassroots community organizations through technical assistance, future training, service learning days, and project implementation, so stay tuned!

Thank you to the Natural Resources Conservation Service for funding these equity workshops.