Kickin’ off Truck Farm, Nor Cal

Jan 28, 2011 by The Tasty Buzz

If you're driving around the San Francisco Bay Area and you happen to see a truck rattle by with a garden blooming in the truck bed, try not to let it distract you too much. I wouldn't want you to get into a car accident. That'll just be me and the Nor Cal Truck Farm crew traveling around, heading off to visit some kids.

Truck Farm, you ask? Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking: A truck with a garden in the back. Truck Farm is an exciting project dreamed up by my heroes Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis who won the Peabody award in 2007 for their hit documentary, King Corn. It all started in Brooklyn, New York in 2009, when Ian planted a vegetable garden in the bed of his grandfather’s 1986 Dodge pick-up. Ian and Curt took Truck Farm on the road, exhibiting at 40 schools and on the National Mall in DC in order to promote equitable access to healthy food and encourage kids to grow their own vegetables. In concert with a 45 minute documentary about the Truck Farm, me and a fleet of Truck Farmers throughout the U.S. will assemble and plant the trucks and head into our local communities, visiting urban schools, inner-city day camps, downtown street fairs, basketball courts and anywhere else youth congregate. Our goal is to have each truck visit at least 25 groups in low-income, urban areas of their communities throughout the growing season, run interactive workshops and then put these groups into contact with our national partners: the Farm to School Network, the USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative, the Salad Bars to Schools program and the Healthy Schools Campaign. In short--it's going to be amazing. Don't you want to be a part of this? If you're still needing some inspiration, check out the video below. Also, if you are interested in donating a truck, supplies, or volunteering time, or if you'd like to arrange a visit from Truck Farm, please contact Jennie Durant at jenniedurant@gmail.com or on the contact form on this website. You can also keep up with us on our Truck Farm blog posts HERE. And special thanks to Saint Mary's College for your huge support, and Natalie and the Truck Farm team for helping with some of the writing here.