People's Grocery has 400 people joining us for our Harvesting Justice fundraising brunch at UC Berkeley on Sunday 2/27.  We've had an incredible response!  To manage an event of this size, we're hoping to enlist new and returning volunteers to help us.  If you are interested, please contact jonathan@peoplesgrocery.org. 

We are looking for:

Ever hear the term urban homesteading?  You know, the energy and effort so many people in Oakland, Detroit, and so many cities around the country put in  to grow their own health food--right in their communities--and to develop related cost-effective, energy-saving programs like fruit foraging and greywater recycling.

Urban foraging can be a lot easier with a toddler along for the ride. You might think a 2 year old would be more trouble than help in gathering fruit, but that's only if you don't calculate the cuteness factor.

A Homemade Exchange is a simple concept.

Friends are pressing apples for cider this weekend, and I was served a slice of birthday apple pie last night, so apples must be in season. No one in my Homesteading Circle has an apple tree, but several of us have very particular taste memories of apple butter, and we wanted to try making some. We decided to turn to the Bay Area Homestead Hookup to help us make it happen.

The Peralta Hacienda community is working to unite Oaklanders through sharing stories and discovering our common history. Nothing does the job quite like food.

Along Oakland's 40th St., a short walk from both MacArthur BART and trendy Piedmont Ave., lies an underutilized commercial district that two restaurant entrepreneurs believe holds big potential -- and on which they're betting everything they've got.

Valentine's Day marks the official opening of Homeroom (400 40th St.). This new Oakland restaurant aims to make fine art from the most comfortable of comfort foods: mac & cheese...

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) were new to me. I'd made the acquaintance of elderflowers in the form of some divine mixed drinks, but I had no idea what to expect of the berry.

I'm on a quest. 

I want to forage and eat at least one thing every week for a year. I live in the flatlands of Oakland – so yes, there's a lot of concrete here. But there's also an amazing amount of fruit, wild greens, artichokes, nuts and cacti. It's just a perspective change to have it pop out at you. 

I've recently joined a Homesteading Circle, and I'm still on a high about it.

For our first meeting, we picked a plum tree clean, ending up with huge bowls and buckets full of plums that we converted into plum chutney.

2010 was a very important year for Mandela MarketPlace and its partner, Mandela Foods. Our successes were abundant. Mandela Foods celebrated their one-year anniversary with a Summer Block Party that included special celebrity guest Rosario Dawson. We hosted U.S. Rep Barbara Lee and EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson on their Environmental Justice Tour.

We are often asked about the status of the much anticipated grocery store and wanted to make sure that everyone understands People’s Grocery’s relationship to the store project.