On December 6 and 7, Urban Tilth hosted its two-day Annual Strategic Planning Retreat at its home base, the North Richmond Farm. This annual gathering provided a critical opportunity for UT staff to reflect on their achievements, discuss challenges, and set their course for the upcoming year. As the organization moves into 2025, the retreat helped foster a sense of community, connection, and alignment with the organization’s mission. Grounded in collective reflection and future planning, the event not only celebrated successes but also set the foundation for ongoing growth, collaboration, and community impact.
Day 1: Mystica, Grounding, and Reflection on the Past Year
The retreat began with a powerful mystica ceremony, a vigil or performance that brings people together around a shared theme. For Urban Tilth, this gathering was centered on the theme: “Honoring the Past and Seeding for the Future.” This theme, inspired by land and agricultural practices learned from a former UT staff member’s travels in South and Central America, reflected the organization’s dual focus on reflection and forward-thinking.
As part of the mystica, staff were invited to bring an item that symbolizes their work at Urban Tilth or their personal journey with the organization. The altar was a powerful visual representation of the diverse experiences, connections, and values within the UT community. Items ranged from seeds representing resilience and growth, like cilantro and three sisters seeds, to personal keepsakes, such as a hummingbird art piece, an abalone shell ring, and a jar of cured black olives, each carrying deep meaning and personal connections to land, community, and ancestors.
The ceremony set the tone for the rest of the retreat, which included a group sharing of the past year’s successes, areas for growth, and dreams for the future. Staff also discussed the importance of creating and upholding group agreements to ensure the space was one of mutual respect, learning, and openness.
Day 2: Program Presentations and Collective Visioning
The second day of the retreat was dedicated to in-depth program presentations. Staff from each program area, such as education, farm and garden initiatives, water conservation, community engagement, and more shared their achievements from the past year and outlined their goals for 2025. This collaborative sharing allowed the team to see the breadth of work being done across the organization and identify areas for cross-program collaboration.
Key highlights from the program presentations included:
- HEAL and CSA programs: Continued efforts to educate the community on healthy eating, as well as successful collaborations with local organizations to distribute produce and plant trees.
- WTS (Water, Trees, and Sustainability): Updates on field restoration efforts, the planting of native species, and water conservation initiatives.
- Capital projects: Progress on the North Richmond Farm Phase I-III and Verde Garden redesign, as well as the new ADA-accessible garden.
- Community engagement: Successful events like Halloweenland, as well as new partnerships and increased volunteer efforts.
Celebrating Achievements: What Urban Tilth Accomplished in 2024
Urban Tilth had a highly productive year in 2024, and the retreat provided an opportunity to reflect on these accomplishments. Some key highlights included:
- Growing and distributing food: UT distributed 198,605 lbs of healthy produce to the community this year, hosted community events, and provided safe spaces for individuals to come together.
- Collaborative projects: The organization grew its relationship with Sogorea Te, designed and began building the first fully accessible garden at its North Richmond site, and started installing water conservation systems for residents.
- Educational and community engagement: The organization saw the successful completion of its first HEAL retreat and hosted several events to educate the community on healthy eating and climate health. UT also gave away trees, and planted 1,366 native species.
- Infrastructure and environmental initiatives: UT made significant progress on its farm, constructed new buildings, and installed systems like grey water certification, water catchment, and natural straw insulation for classrooms, all contributing to the sustainability of the site.
While there was much to celebrate, the team also recognized areas for improvement, such as enhancing communication, increasing volunteer participation, and offering more team-building events.
Planning for 2025: Organizational Goals
Looking ahead, Urban Tilth is setting ambitious goals for 2025. The retreat was an opportunity for the staff to align on strategic goals, discuss the organization’s direction, and deepen their commitment to UT’s mission. Some of the shared goals for 2025 include:
- Cross-pollination and collaboration across sites: A focus on seed saving, shared learning, and cross-program collaboration, strengthening the connection between different UT initiatives.
- Expanding community engagement: Continuing to build relationships with local residents and organizations, while activating new spaces for public engagement, education, and wellness.
- Building organizational resilience: This includes providing more professional development, education, training, and wellness opportunities for staff.
- Enhancing political engagement: Staff will be provided with more resources, education, and training in political engagement for the organization. This includes providing more opportunities to get involved in local and national advocacy efforts.
- Increasing job opportunities: Urban Tilth will prioritize growing its employment offerings and providing more opportunities for staff to advance in their roles.
Moving Forward: Reflecting on the Retreat
Reflecting on the retreat, Chito, one of UT’s staff members and organizers of the retreat, shared: “This year’s 2-day Annual Strategic Planning Retreat was held at our home base, the North Richmond Farm. The retreat offered our staff a valuable opportunity to connect, reflect, and dream together in person—away from computer screens. Over the two days, we shared successes and challenges within our programs, celebrating the collective accomplishments that drive our mission forward.”
For Urban Tilth, this retreat was a chance to honor the work that has been done and to seed the future with hope, intention, and collaboration. By grounding themselves in shared purpose and vision, UT staff left the retreat empowered, ready to continue their work with confidence, determination, and passion as they move into 2025.
As the organization embarks on another year of growth and community impact, the retreat served as a powerful reminder of the importance of connection to each other, the land, and the community they serve. With clear goals, a deep commitment to justice, and a shared sense of purpose, Urban Tilth is determined to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people and communities they support.
