About Urban Agriculture and Conservation
Contra Costa Resource Conservation District provides technical assistance and support to urban farms, school and community gardens, rooftop gardens, and other emerging operations to support food systems and food production in East Bay communities. Through community organizing, we bring together different partners, organizations, specialists, and resources to achieve conservation objectives in urban agriculture.
Urban agriculture includes activities undertaken for a wide variety of reasons, from home gardens growing vegetables for a family to communal gardens where the harvest is shared among the gardeners to urban farms launched by entrepreneurs, and everything in between.
Free Technical Assistance
Agriculture Opportunities Newsletter
Resources
Nat Gaffney
Skills: Critical Thinking, Environmental Education, Community Engagement, Qualitative Data Analysis.
Fun Fact: I consider myself a “micro-hiker”, or someone who notices and admires the tiny details and mini ecosystems all around (leaves, bugs, the interesting pattern on a rock, wildlife, fungi, moss, etc.).
Nat Gaffney
With a B.S. in Society and Environment from UC Berkeley and a minor in Food Systems, Nat is a critical thinker; a passionate believer in collective liberation; and dedicated environmental steward. In the Berkeley community, they have been involved in many projects toward food justice and agroecology such as Pour Out Pepsi, the Berkeley Student Food Collective, the UC Gill Tract, and Berkeley Student Farms. From these spaces/efforts, their passion for sustainable food systems grew. They are excited to be part of the Urban Agriculture Team and help actualize sustainability goals that CCRCD and partners are striving toward!
Urban agriculture includes activities undertaken for a wide variety of reasons, from home gardens growing vegetables for a family to communal gardens where the harvest is shared among the gardeners to urban farms launched by entrepreneurs, and everything in between. Figure developed by Neith Little, graphic design by Susan Barnes.
What are the benefits of Urban Agriculture
Urban Agriculture Explained
Ben Weise
Skills: Permitting, conservation on agricultural land, illegal dumping prevention.
Fun Fact: Eagle Scout, former member of the University of California Marching Band, aspiring birder, and a Contra Costa native raised in Southern California.
Ben Weise
Ben started working with Contra Costa RCD in January 2017 after receiving two Masters degrees from Indiana University in Natural Resource Management and Environmental Policy following undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley. Ben manages the Voluntary Local Program, the EcoStewards Program, and other conservation programs focused on agricultural lands.
Nat Gaffney
Skills: Critical Thinking, Environmental Education, Community Engagement, Qualitative Data Analysis.
Fun Fact: I consider myself a “micro-hiker”, or someone who notices and admires the tiny details and mini ecosystems all around (leaves, bugs, the interesting pattern on a rock, wildlife, fungi, moss, etc.).
Nat Gaffney
With a B.S. in Society and Environment from UC Berkeley and a minor in Food Systems, Nat is a critical thinker; a passionate believer in collective liberation; and dedicated environmental steward. In the Berkeley community, they have been involved in many projects toward food justice and agroecology such as Pour Out Pepsi, the Berkeley Student Food Collective, the UC Gill Tract, and Berkeley Student Farms. From these spaces/efforts, their passion for sustainable food systems grew. They are excited to be part of the Urban Agriculture Team and help actualize sustainability goals that CCRCD and partners are striving toward!