I hope everyone is well and taking good care. I’m excited to share a new community project I’m involved in, and hoping to recruit others to join!
Two Bay Area non-profits, Planting Justice and The Good Table United Church of Christ are forming a joint venture partnership to create a project unlike any that's ever been seen in the CA Bay Area. I recently discovered The Good Table and toured the site on a volunteer work day.
The vision for this space where the old Adachi’s Nursery sits, closed and uninhabited since 2017, sounds too good to be true.
Some of the plans for the project include:
An arts venue offering yoga, meditation, spiritual ceremony, health and wellness education, arts and music programming;
A spiritual center and gathering space.
A "pay-what-you-can" cafe and healthy foods marketplace
A retail nursery and farm store selling organic fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, native plants, and other medicinal/edible plants!
Build What You Need
No other neighborhood in the Bay Area has a venue like this. It's difficult to overstate the positive impact this project will have on our community. Imagine a local space where we can gather safely, get to know our neighbors, buy from local artists, learn, meditate, or just connect to wifi and work or study quietly. As a single mom, the idea of a space where kids can take gardening or art or yoga classes after school, and I could go get coffee and buy fresh produce sounds too good to be true.
Theft and Fire threaten the project
The Good Table is exactly the source of connection and enrichment each of us needs after three years of isolation, uncertainty, and loss.
We need this space to connect and heal and they need a lot of help to help make it happen.
During one week in mid-July, the two non-profits encountered a series of unfortunate events. The Good Table site was the target of a major theft operation. Overnight, every single piece of electrical equipment they had installed was removed. The crew worked fast and caused a substantial amount of damage in addition to what was taken. (Pictured right)
3 days later, a fire damaged approximately 650 thriving fruit trees and shrubs, including more than 300 distinct varieties. In total, almost 40% of the farm burned, and they lost their irrigation system. A massive cleanup effort is underway.
Site of fire at Planting Justice’s 4-Acre Mother Farm in El Sobrante.
How to Get Involved
There are many ways the community can get involved and help contribute to making this project succeed.
Donate money
They need money. Make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here or mailing a check to: The Good Table LLC, 780 Ashbury Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.
Volunteer time
They also need volunteers to help clean up the site. You can sign up here to volunteer at the farm or come to their next Community Work & Fun Day - held the last Saturday of every month from 12p - 3p. They always have a variety of gardening and cleaning projects that can be done while construction is happening. The next work day is Saturday, August 27th.
Spread the word
You can also help by spreading the word. Forward this newsletter to your network.
Volunteers remove brush and plant a Japanese raisin tree at the future site of The Good Table in El Sobrante.
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