New urban farm in Oakland prepares food for school children and their families
Located on the west side of Oakland, Calif., The Center is a new facility that develops programs whose goal is to bring together the environment, food and gardens for the Oakland Unified School District.
By Peter Caulfield
Daily Commercial News
December 6, 2023
Excerpt:
Situated on the site of a middle school that had been closed for several years, The Center provides nearly 30,000 freshly-cooked meals every day for students and families in 77 schools throughout the district.
The facility is made up of a large central kitchen, a culinary arts education center and an urban farm.
The kitchen produces breakfast and lunches for OUSD students and their families.
The culinary arts laboratory classrooms provide career education and training for high school students as well as adult education programs.
The farm is a full-time demonstration garden which also hosts field trips for elementary and middle school students.
In addition, the farm produces all seed starters that are used in the school community gardens throughout the OUSD’s elementary and middle school campuses.
The Center also provides a variety of other programs, from early childhood to young adult, for all of Oakland.
