Woman's Non-Profit Turns Blighted Property in Richmond Into Urban Farms That Provide For Community

RICHMOND (KPIX 5) -- For more than a decade, a Richmond native has been turning blighted public property into farms that nourish the community.

The North Richmond Farm yields rows of fresh, organic produce. The site used to be a popular dumping site until Urban Tilth's executive director Doria Robinson led a team to clean and rebuild the soil for a healthy yearly harvest.

"And now, after all these years of doing all that work, we're growing thousands - literally 26,000 pounds of fresh, healthy food - for the community in that place that was just abandoned," said Robinson.

As executive director for the last 13 years, Robinson has grown a reliable, backup food source for West Contra Costa County.

The 17-year-old Richmond nonprofit builds urban gardens, and trains neighbors to grow food for a healthier community. Its farm-to-table community-supported agriculture (CSA) program proved its worth in the pandemic.

"When the grocery stores were bare, we still had food. We still fed the 400 families who depend on us every week for their CSA boxes," Robinson said.

It's a program supported by members who pay $15-$30 a week for food boxes, depending on their ability to pay.

Her team started Farmers to Families at the start of the pandemic. The grant-supported program gives free weekly produce to 120 families in need.

Urban Tilth also offers free weekly farm stands where there are few, if any, grocery stores. Manager Isabella Zizi teaches folks to cook vegetables they didn't grow up eating, like bok choy.

"Being able to work with Urban Tilth and provide such service to our community is pretty fulfilling for me," Zizi said.

Urban Tilth oversees six school and community gardens. At like Richmond High, students take an urban agriculture course that counts as a science class for college applicants. The garden is the classroom.

"We're used to eating chips and going to get fast food," said Richmond senior Christopher Taylor. "There may be a time where we'll have to make our own stuff. This class prepares us for that."

Urban Tilth staff member Adam Boisvert who teaches the class said Robinson empowers them to create their own self-sufficient food system.

"We don't have to settle for 'as is,' we can actually create change in our community. For me, that's why she's so inspiring," Boisvert said.

"There is no other work I'd rather do," Robinson said.

So for transforming blighted spaces into urban gardens that feed Richmond-area neighbors with healthy, organic food, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Doria Robinson.