Aquaponics Farm

3-acre sustainable urban agriculture incubator developed in partnership with UC Davis and set to launch in 2024

Producing Food in Urban Environments

Our 3-acre aquaponics farm, developed in partnership with Nathan Kaufman of UC Davis, will establish proof of concept for large-scale food production methods appropriate for urban environments that are paved and contaminated with industrial pollution. Expected to launch in 2024, the aquaponics farm will provide full-time living-wage work for 20 new staff members, and grow hundreds of thousands of pounds of organic food we can feature at The Good Table Cafe & Nursery and distribute for free to low-food access communities.

Developing a Scalable Model

Our vision for the aquaponics farm is to develop a replicable business model for sustainable urban agriculture that can be scaled to empty lots throughout Oakland and beyond. This nonprofit incubator farm will work through processes like permitting, food safety certifications, etc., and establish a platform for a grower’s cooperative by reducing barriers that prevent people from starting their own businesses. Similar to cooperative dairy farms, we hope to take care of marketing and distribution and establish demand so that urban farmers can focus on what they love– growing food– while empowering low-income urban residents to own their own land and businesses as part of a multi-site aquaponics cooperative.