Martin Luther King National Day of Service

This past January 20, 2020, at Urban Tilth we celebrated our 4th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of service. This holiday is particularly important for us because we have a profound respect for this civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Dr. King’s vision, teachings, and activism will always be a source of inspiration for us.

We proudly observed this holiday, inviting volunteers to begin 2020 with a commitment to making North Richmond a better place, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

Thank you!

We are filled with gratitude for all the volunteers that chose to give your day of service to Urban Tilth. You honored Dr. King’s life and your help will have a lasting impact on Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm and the Greenway Gardens at Unity Park Plaza.

North Richmond Farm Accomplishments

With your help we successfully:

Created a new hedgerow along the western edge of the farm orchard to create new pollinator forage for our honey bees and create a wind block and screen against the street and street noise.
Planted 20 new fruit trees in the orchard that add to our potential to grow and offer fruit to our community.
Created 6 new crop rows (50 ft long by 4 ft wide) – 1,200 sq ft of new growing space for the farm. The goal is to create 14 more rows by the end of Spring 2020.
Installed frame and poles for the Hoop House.
Seeded all spring crops, including our 2nd season of flowers!
Cleaned 40 cubic yards of illegally dumped couches, furniture, oil cans, tires, household trash and – sadly – dead animals from the swales leading to San Pablo Creek and Wildcat Creek.

16th Street Edible Forest Accomplishments:

With your help we successfully:

Planted new pollinator beds along the pathways.
Planted 10 replacement fruit trees where trees failed or were vandalized.
Weeded and mulched.

6th Street Community Gardens Accomplishments:

With your help we successfully:

Planted new berries where plants failed, added soil amendments and cared for berry beds.
Planted pollinator plants in the pollinator garden.
Planted replacement citrus trees where trees failed or were stolen.