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“We as community members have been so grateful for this space,” said Oakland resident Bettina Bell. “We appreciated that Northeastern has made us feel as welcome as we felt at Mills College.”
OAKLAND, Calif. — The wind was chilly and the long green field damp from rain, but the sun came out in time for neighbors and community members who came to Northeastern University’s Oakland campus for its annual Farm Fest.
“I came here the other day with a friend while she was walking her dog and I saw the flier for Farm Fest,” said Bettina Bell, who can walk to campus in seven minutes from her home nearby. “I was so excited to come and see the garden. We as community members have been so grateful for this space.”
The 2.5-acre Community Farm was established in 2010 along the western edge of campus and produces a year-round harvest of vegetables, herbs and flowers. More than 60 varieties of fruit trees produce shade along with nectarines, plums, apples and figs on the farm’s terraced hillside.
This was the second annual Farm Fest, featuring live music, craft-making, face painting and, of course, food. Visitors enjoyed mushrooms stuffed with collard greens from the farm and vanilla cupcakes with frosting flavored with farm-grown lavender.
In spite of cool temperatures, the line for frozen treats at Pineapple Whips was long throughout the afternoon. Owner Jeff Taplin, who grew up in the neighborhood, said this was the fourth time he has sold his non-dairy fruit desserts on campus.
“This event got a lot of people in the community to come out,” said Taplin, who has a permanent location for Pineapple Whips around the corner from campus in addition to his food truck. The neighborhood, he said, has changed in recent years, with more young families walking with their dogs and children. Taplin didn’t get a chance to sample any of the food made with farm produce. “We were just too busy.”
All crops at the farm are started from seed, either in the greenhouse or in the two 80-foot planting beds. All work is done by hand, mostly by student workers and farm director Julia Dashe. Oakland’s climate allows for cultivation throughout the year, but the summer harvest is especially abundant. So abundant that the farm offers a Community Supported Agriculture program.
Beginning in May, neighbors and campus community members can subscribe to receive a weekly box of vegetables, fruit and native flowers.
That’s what brought Victoria Garcia to Farm Fest. Garcia walked 15 minutes from her home to campus to enjoy tacos and lemonade. But during the summer she walks over every Wednesday afternoon to collect a tote bag full of fresh food.
“We grow our vegetables and fruit at home too,” she said, “but this is perfect because sometimes we need more and want to have different varieties.”
The farm itself abuts a long field bordered by eucalyptus and pine trees. For many who attended Farm Fest, the attraction was that their dogs and children could run around in a safe setting.
David and Carrie Kirkland have been bringing their dog, Charlie, for walks on campus since before their newborn baby, Walter, was born. A short drive from their home, the grassy field and trails on campus offer exercise and respite to both Charlie and his human companions.
“It’s nice to have this area that’s enclosed and safe,” said Carrie Kirkland, who came to walk on campus with Charlie in the evenings late in her pregnancy. Dog owners have to obtain a permit to walk their pets on campus, which requires showing proof of vaccination. “We know the dogs here are fully vaccinated and well behaved.”
David Kirkland said he looks forward to bringing Walter to the farm when he’s old enough to walk and dig on his own. The farm welcomes community volunteers.
“If there’s an opportunity for some farming for him, it’d be awesome to bring him in a couple of years,” he said.
Kendra Seckinger’s toddler, Miles, is a little closer to digging in the dirt. Miles splashed his hands in puddles of rainwater that had collected on a paved pathway. From their home across the street, Kendra and her husband can see the trees that grow on and around campus.
“We’re here once a week, walking the soccer field,” Seckinger said. “When we moved into the neighborhood everyone told us about the pool and the nice walks.”
This is just what Andrew Gonzales, head of sustainability for the campus, wants to hear. His hope is that events like Farm Fest will reach even more community members and spread the word about the natural resources available to the public.
“If we were a public park, we would make up about 8% of Oakland’s public tree canopy,” Gonzales said. “We want to show that the public is welcome here and that we have wonderful resources for people to interact with like volunteering at the farm, coming to Farm Fest and walking dogs.”
Tom Adler, who lives with his family about 15 minutes away, said he comes to campus with his children after school and often runs into other parents he knows.
“We’ll drop into the Tea Shop (on campus) and get a cup of coffee and let the kids run around on Holmgren Meadow,” he said. “Especially in this neighborhood, it’s amazing that there is someplace I can take my kids that is 100 percent safe. That’s huge for parents.”
For neighbors who have lived near campus for many years, the verdant paths and fields hold a special significance in their daily lives. Andy Carpentier has lived just minutes away from campus in the College Court neighborhood for 38 years. As an architect, he appreciates both the green space and campus buildings, many of which were designed by Julia Morgan, Bernard Maybeck and Walter Radcliff.
“We as community members have been so grateful for this space,” said Bettina Bell, who is one of Carpentier’s neighbors. “We appreciated that Northeastern has made us feel as welcome as we felt at Mills College.”