Oakland Food Policy Council

October 2011

Should Oakland’s backyard farmers raise and kill animals for food?

The City of Oakland has mandated it legal for residents to grow and sell their own food, but has left out the question of animal husbandry for food. Though it is illegal according to federal law to sell non-USDA approved slaughtered meat, local farmers can currently consume their own slaughtered animals for personal consumption. However, the changing agriculture policies in Oakland are slowly expanding in content and specificity to acknowledge to role of animals on local, urban farms. “… That unanimous vote [to grow and sell produce] was the easy part. The hard part comes next, as city officials draft new rules on just how big urban farms can get, when and where they can sell their produce and – most controversially – whether residents can raise and kill animals for food.”  -Sacbee

Oakland allows Urban Farmers to Sell Produce

SFGate and Huffington Post

As of October 5, 2011, Oakland residents may sell produce grown from residential gardens with a business license and a home occupation permit. Added together, the permit and license totals to less than $100, a major change in Oakland's urban ag policies. At a City Council meeting held on October 4th, the City expanded the definition of home occupation to include food-based growing and selling. This is just a first of a series of meetings and policy changes that will take place within the next few months to expand to clear definitions of urban ag policies on commercial and industrial, including laws on farm animals.

May 2011

Oakland food truck debate rages at City Hall

By Dara Kerr
Oakland North

"During a contentious meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Oakland City Council’s Committee on Community and Economic Development debated whether or not to expand the boundaries where food trucks can do business throughout the city, as well as loosen some of the restrictions that govern where food trucks can park. After listening to impassioned speakers, including two city councilmembers, and an intense discussion within the committee, the committee decided to hold off on making a decision and push further discussion until next month."

Bites on Broadway: Friday Food Pod Launches June 10 at Oakland Tech

By John Birdsall
SF Weekly

"Oakland was a haven for food trucks long before Korean short ribs met the tortilla. And though ― outside Fruitvale ― the city's mobile vending rules won't allow trucks to cluster on city streets like they do in Emeryville, organizers are trying to devise work-arounds. First among them: a weekly food pod called Bites on Broadway, which will set up Friday nights on the plaza in front of Oakland Technical High School on Broadway at 45th Street starting June 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m."

Oakland urban farming prompts plan to redo rules

By Matthai Kuruvila
San Francisco Chronicle

"...Oakland planning officials said they are about to embark on an ambitious plan to revamp the zoning code to incorporate the increasing presence of agriculture in the city.

"The plan is to develop rules and conditions allowing anyone to grow vegetables and sell produce from their property without a permit. The Oakland plan would go beyond that of other cities, including San Francisco, because it would also set up conditions for raising farm animals without a permit.

" 'What we are trying to do is tackle the full dimensions of the urban food movement, which is animals and vegetables,' said Eric Angstadt, the city's planning director..."

April 2011

Urban Farmer Novella Carpenter 'busted' by city of Oakland - for chard?

By Stephanie Rosenbaum
Oakland Local

...“I think a case like this just really highlights the need for the communities and cities to work together to figure out what kind of framework we want to have for urban ag activities,” said Alethea Harper, coordinator of the Oakland Food Policy Council. ...
 

March 2011
 

Edible East Bay has recognized Brahm Ahmandi of People's Grocery with a "Local Hero" award in the Non-Profit Organization category. Read more here. 

Urban Goats

By Jennifer Bleyer
New York Times

..."Dairy goats are becoming the next frontier for some urbanites eager to produce their own food. Although the animals are illegal in many cities, Kooy unearthed a San Francisco health department clause that allows two goats per household. Aspiring goat-keepers in Portland, Ore., as well as Oakland and Berkeley, have been thrilled to discover similar goat-friendly ordinances. In other cities, enthusiasts are lobbying for more-lenient regulations"...

November 2010

Refugees find comfort food, and safety, at new Oakland store

By Matt O'Brien

Oakland Tribune

OAKLAND -- Walking along Eighth Avenue with a friend last week, Bu Reh noticed something he doesn't usually see in the Eastlake neighborhood: the circular letters of the Burmese script.

The words beckoned. They were on a sign, and the sign was on the side of an 85-year-old building at the corner of 8th and Foothill Boulevard. The message told him Burmese food could be found inside. It said the same thing in Nepali, Hindi, Tamil and Arabic. Reh walked inside, strolled through the aisles and smiled. Click here to read more.

June 2010

• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Come and join us for The Get Down - a party for anyone committed to social justice. With some good company, we'll spend the evening enjoying tasty food, delicious cocktails and lively discussions about political and social issues. Social change doesn't happen overnight - it's the relationships that we create that sustain the movement. We hope that you can join us as we create a space for people to have fun and connect with one another. We work hard, but to sustain ourselves and the movement, sometimes, we've got to play hard too. Please join us. Click here for more information.

April 2010

• Healthy Kids and Family Day, Saturday, April 17, 2010

March 2010

• MONDAY, MARCH 29, 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM. Join us for a day of celebrating the legacy of Cesar Chavez. This child-friendly event will include face painting, mural painting, live music, and a surprise musical guest! Festivities will take place at 5328 Brann Street
• MARCH 10, 2010, 7:30 PM. RECIPES FOR AMERICA. Join us for a conversation with Jill Richardson, author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It and Bonnie Powell, cofounder, editor, and writer for the food-politics blog The Ethicurean. Marion Nestle hails Jill Richardson as “a fresh voice in the movement to create a healthier and sustainable food system. This book will be part of the burgeoning food social movement, as it provides a guide to the most important issues and how to work on them” and Civil Eats calls Recipe for America "a handbook for the sustainable advocate in training." The dynamic conversation will run the gamut of food issues - the Farm Bill, community food projects and councils, food labeling, school lunches, food safety, and animal agriculture. Be part of the conversation to learn how you can take action from voting with your fork and beyond. This event will take place at 101 Morgan Hall, UC Berkeley.

• MARCH 9, 12:30 PM. SPUR: LUNCHTIME FORUM Vacant Lots: ideas for temporary use. How can we activate some of San Francisco’s stalled construction sites into spaces of beauty, inspiration and public use? What policy incentives are being used to make this idea attractive to landowners? Inspired by a series by the Chronicle’s urban design critic, John King, a handful of local artists and designers have developed innovative proposals for an urban farm, sculptural bird habitat and pop-up stores (to only name a few). Join us for a discussion with John Bela of Rebar, Douglas Burnham of envelope A+D,Sarah Kuehlof Peter Walker + Partners and Michael Yarne of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development. Moderated by John King. Location: 654 Mission Street; San Francisco/ $5 for non-members; free to members

• MARCH 2, Join us for a conversation with Jill Richardson, author of Recipe for America and Bonnie Powell, co-founder, editor, and writer for the food-politics blogThe Ethicurean. The dynamic conversation will run the gamut of food issues - the Farm Bill, community food projects and councils, food labeling, school lunches, food safety, and animal agriculture. Be part of the conversation to learn how you can take action from voting with your fork and beyond. Jill Richardson got involved in food policy activism after working for several years in health care and observing the high rate of diet-related chronic illness among the American patient population. She blogs at La Vida Locavore. Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It is Jill’s first book. Marion Nestle hails Richardson as “a fresh voice in the movement to create a healthier and sustainable food system. This book will be part of the burgeoning food social movement, as it provides a guide to the most important issues and hoiw to work on them” and Civil Eats calls Recipe for America "a handbook for the sustainable advocate in training."  Click here to learn more about this lecture series, which is a partnership between18 Reasons and Civil Eats.

Join CUESA and Kitchen Table Talks for a lively conversation about inspiring models for getting fresh, local food to more Bay Area residents. The event will take place Tuesday, March 2 at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The panel discussion will take place in the Port Commission Hearing Room on the 2nd floor. This event is free and open to the public.

December 2009

Battle over Oakland Public School's Food 12/9/2009

• It was a group of parents from the flatlands as well as the hills who got so fed up with prepackaged grilled cheeses and trans-fat-laden burritos that last year they attempted secession. In fall 2008 several schools including Thornhill, Montclair, Manzanita SEED, and Think College Now approached Revolution Foods, a private school food vendor, with the intention of breaking off from the district's nutrition program. When they learned they could not negotiate their own contract with an outside provider, they reached out to other schools and community groups to broaden support for reform. Read the article here.

Oakland Local

• The Oakland Local is a new nonprofit web and mobile news and community hub for Oakland launched two weeks ago. We focus on food access, climate change, development, identity, from a social justice perspective and we are partnered with local community groups and non profits, including Oakland Rising, Urban Habitat, the Ella Baker Center, Communities for a Better Environment and EBASE. We invite other social justice and neighborhood groups to partner with us and build their online reach via Oakland Local.

OaklandSeen

• Oakland Seen is a new weekly radio show and blog all about Oakland. It will feature news, views and people in the community. Watch for their full website, launching this fall, that features perspectives on a range of issues including housing, education, crime, local business, and the latest in city hall. OaklandSeen debuts in the name of celebrating, connecting with your neighbors, and getting involved in Oakland. Tune into their weekly radio show with live call-ins - Tuesdays 11-noon on KPFA-FM beginning November 3rd. They're going to broadcast live from Oakland neighborhoods soon. Call in at 510-848-6767 ext.606 or send an email to info[at]OaklandSeen.com.

October 2009

Food-processing plants make comeback in Oakland.10.25.2009 SFGATE

For the first half of the 20th century, the Bay Area was the world's largest food-processing center, and Oakland, with scores of canneries, cerealmakers, bakeries and breweries became the area's leader - later helping to pioneer branded foods and supermarkets.

Oakland's food prowess waned as companies consolidated and moved away, but the city's edible economy appears to be on the rise and innovating once again. Read Article.

Rising Obesity Rates Linked to Food Insecurity in Oakland

In this ABC story, rising rates of obesity and diet-related illnesses are linked to food insecurity and poverty in Oakland.

Forage Oakland-Why We Harvest: An Urban Gleaning Manifesto

Forage Oakland is a project that works to create a network of local resources that address the need and desires of neighborhoods to be more self-sustaining in meeting their food needs. Access the manifesto here

• If you have extra apricots, we have a way for you to swap them out for a few of your neighbor's plums. Check out how neighborhood fruit swapping is becoming increasingly popular in Oakland and a part of the larger locavore movement.