On June 27, two tour buses pulled up at the Alameda Point Collaborative’s Farm2Market urban farm. Roughly 100 employees of Clif Bar & Company, maker of plant-based energy bars, disembarked for a day of community service on company time. Another 65 workers disembarked at other Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) locations. In an effort to keep the farm successful, the workers fanned out in teams to prune fruit trees, pull weeds in vegetable rows, construct rinsing tables for fruits and vegetables, and assemble and stain picnic tables and benches.
Clif Bar brought along a “motivational associate” for the daylong blitz, a DJ who cranked out dance music from a stage, giving new meaning to the term “work party.”
Amid the festive atmosphere, the volunteers hoisted extension pole tree pruners to lop off branches from lemon trees, while others piled the trimmings in wheelbarrows to be hustled over to the mountain of green waste. Elsewhere, workers screwed together lumber and tacked down galvanized screening to build veggie rinsing tables, as others nearby assembled and stained picnic tables and benches. Meanwhile, out in the vegetable rows, volunteers worked on hands and knees to pull weeds.
The biggest addition to the farm was a new greenhouse, at least the beginnings of one. The ground was cleared of old plant stubble and the metal frame superstructure was erected by day’s end. The transparent cover and doors, however, will be finished by other volunteers, according to farm manager Johnny Bootlace. Not only will it add capacity when finished, but the size and design of the greenhouse “will produce higher temperatures conducive to growing more vegetable types,” said Bootlace.
The arrival of the helpers was preceded during the week prior by various deliveries of construction materials to the farm and four other APC locations, courtesy of Clif Bar.
“Workers also provided service at the Ploughshares Nursery, Teen Center, Elementary Education Center, and our Adult Services Center,” said the Collaborative’s Executive Director Doug Biggs. Tasks included painting a basketball court and patio at the Teen Center, constructing a shade structure and assembling retail display tables at Ploughshares Nursery, and resume writing and interview skills training for potential career paths at Clif Bar and elsewhere.
All told, the Farm benefitted from about $10,000 in upgrades, and Ploughshares got about $8,000, while the youth programs received over $5,000 in upgrades. “We love hosting volunteer groups, but it so much more impactful when they come with a budget to help fund program improvements so we can better serve the formerly homeless residents that call APC home,” said Biggs. “Last fall, they sponsored our annual Harvest Festival and built booths and games for the event, and this spring, a team put up trellises for beans to grow, and they are often onsite at Ploughshares Nursery lending a hand.”
Clif Bar first started holding company wide volunteer events when there was talk of them relocating their headquarters to Alameda. “Even though that didn’t work out, they have continued to be a meaningful partner at APC for years,” said Biggs.
“Through the act of extending a hand – not just once in a while but as a regular part of life – we are changed as individuals and as a company,” the company’s website explains. Every year the company closes its Emeryville office for a day so employees can all volunteer together. “We’re committed to taking care of our planet, and it’s baked into everything we do,” writes Clif Bar. “We manage our resources sustainably and help others do the same.”
The farm, located at 2600 Barbers Point Road, is always looking for more volunteers from organizations and individuals. Produce is sold to the public through a subscription membership system by season. The proceeds go toward various programs run by the Alameda Point Collaborative.
Originally published on the Alameda Post.
Alameda Point Environmental Report 