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Year-Round Local Resources

Gardening is a safe way to stay active and healthy during the pandemic. If you need seeds, compost, or how-to tips then check out the lists below:

 

Connect with StopWaste about Gardening

Check out the links below if you would like to connect with StopWaste about gardening.

  • East Bay Garden Friends Facebook Group: This East Bay Garden Friends group is meant for new and experienced home and community gardeners in the East Bay, CA who focus on building healthy soil while also growing plants. 
  • StopWaste At Home E-Newsletter: Sign up to get tips for sustainable living in Alameda County, delivered to your inbox! 

Local Partner Nurseries:

Our partner nurseries stock diverse Bay-Friendly plants. Be sure to call before visiting as hours, inventory, and services may change.

(925) 447-0280
981 Alden Lane, Livermore
Open Friday through Monday, 9 am to 4 pm
 
(510) 797-3700
3700 Thornton Ave, Fremont
Open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 9 pm; and Saturday & Sunday, 7 am to 7 pm
 
(510) 845-6490
2332 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:45 pm
 
(510) 632-1522
350 San Leandro, Blvd.
Open 7 days a week, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
 
(510) 652-1936
4001 Grand Ave, Oakland
Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 6:30 pm; and Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm
 
(510) 387-9744
702 Channing Way, Berkeley
Open Thursday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
 
(510) 755-1102
2701 Main St, Alameda
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
 
(510) 686-3493
2727 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland
Open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 6pm; and Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; and Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm
 
(510) 234-2222
601A Canal Blvd., Richmond
Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm  
 

Local Urban Farms and Community Partners

These partner organizations produce and distribute healthy food, provide essential services, community education, and resources, and are neighborhood models of carbon farming.

(510) 239-PICK (7425)
Alameda Backyard Growers is a network of gardeners in Alameda that donate extra produce to the Alameda Food Bank.
 
(510) 898-7856
2600 Barbers Point Rd, Alameda, CA 94501
Farm2Market trains community residents as farmers to grow and sell produce through a CSA and fund their community housing project.
 
(510) 762-4241
2847 Peralta St, Oakland, CA 94608
City Slicker Farms supports West Oakland residents to grow their own food through garden construction, mentorships, hosting workshops, and distributing produce.
 
(510) 626-5789
2700 Fairmont Dr, San Leandro, CA 94578 (Food Hub)
Dig Deep Farms collaborates with the Deputy Sheriff’s Activity League to grow and distribute food through community farm stands, and supports community health with the Food As Medicine program.
 
garden@crosswindschurch.org
1660 Freisman Rd, Livermore, CA 94551
A project of Crosswinds Church, Eden Garden gathers community partners and volunteers to assist in growing healthy, nutritious food to be distributed to local food banks.
 
55 Mowry Ave, Fremont, CA 94536
Fremont LEAF’s Stone Garden and Bee Sanctuary grow organic food for donation to food pantries, provide low cost plant sales, and educational workshops on home gardening and sustainable living.
 
Hummingbirds is a collective of Black families and children dedicated to supporting the education, empowerment and success of young people through community farming and land stewardship.
 
(510) 430-2230
5000 Macarthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94613
Mills Community Farm collaborates with students enrolled in the Campus Farm Practicum to grow produce for campus dining services and sell at a weekly farm stand.
 
(510) 250-7957
4799 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Phat Beets Produce provides affordable access to fresh produce, facilitates youth leadership, and connects neighborhood farmers to urban communities through a CSA and farm stands.

StopWaste Resources

Check out the downloadable tools below for tips to build healthy soil, grow a beautiful garden, and keep our communities healthy.

Tools for Building Healthy Soil

Learn more about building healthy soil and find tips to help you get started in your garden. This guide introduces soil building strategies including composting, sheet mulching and cover cropping.

Download

 

Now That Your Lawn is Gone

Congratulations...you have transformed your lawn into a garden, but now what? This brochure covers how to maintain your garden after sheet mulching and includes a calendar of tasks so that you will be ready for every season.

Download

 

Bay-Friendly Gardening Guide: From Your Backyard to the Bay

This 70+ page guide is written for the home gardener and provides how-to information, a design survey, profiles of East Bay gardens, and much more.

Download

 

Healthy Soils Activity Guide

Wondering about the health of your soil? This interactive guide provides activities for you to engage and observe various aspects of your soil. Do just one activity or them all, at a pace that suits you.

Download

 

On-Farm Composting Toolkit

This in-depth guide can answer all of your compost questions. Whether you are an urban farmer, community gardener, or a backyard homesteader, this toolkit supports you in becoming an expert composter.

Download

 

Bulk Garden Suppliers:

Check out the Lawn to Garden Marketplace for a complete directory of Bay Area sources for bulk recycled compost, mulch, and sheet mulch materials. 

Planting with Compost