On a rainy Saturday October 25th, about 20 Project Management Institute volunteers gathered at Acta Non-Verba Farm in West Oakland, where we were hosted by director Sarah Miller and assistant Esmee Fong Chew. The volunteers were divided into two groups, with one group focusing on filling and planting seed starting trays, and the other group harvesting corn and clearing a central area to prepare for next weekend’s Farm Fest event. PM volunteers came from a variety of domains such as supply chain applications, building PG&E transmission lines, construction, banking, and learning & development programs. As one would expect, this diverse group of PMs jumped right into the work and collaborated enthusiastically.

Acta Non Verba farm not only grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, but also hosts bees and a large flock of chickens. They provide CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes to the local community, which are subscription based deliveries of farm produce. Local residents can also rent planter boxes at the farm and grow whatever they wish and benefit from the location, equipment, expertise and community. The farm also hosts educational sessions for youth groups to help teach young people where food comes from, how to grow good food, and related skills such as cooking and knife skills. There is also a large playground in the back of the farm that welcomes local children to play and explore.

Strawberries, carrots, and eggplant were just a few of the crops we saw growing there that day. Sarah told us every year the mix of crops can be a bit different and they grow what intrigues them. On the tour at the end of the day, she introduced us to some unique and surprising vegetables such as cucamelon (a bite sized, citrusy cucumber) and loofa gourds, which not only are used for scrubbers when dried, but can also be eaten when young and tender.

Acta Non Verba farm is a beautiful example of what can be accomplished with the right amount of care and effort in unlikely places. The location is surrounded by urban industry such as a metal recycling facility and a pottery factory. The farm has completely created its own soil through composting and amending it with chicken droppings, fish emulsions. The “cooking” compost can get quite warm, as it needs to get hot enough for effective decomposition and to kill harmful pathogens. The farm is also home to a family of possums, and a cat who keeps the rats and mice away. Sarah shared a fun fact - they do not have any gophers at all! This typical garden pest will almost always find a way to inhabit good soil wherever it can be found, but Sarah speculated that the noise and vibration from the metal recycling factory may keep them away.

The PMI group thoroughly enjoyed working together and learning more about Acta Non Verba and urban farming practices. Everyone agreed it was invigorating to get outside and work together with our hands. We all left with great respect for the team and community at Acta Non Verba, and gained knowledge and inspiration for our own gardening efforts. Sarah pointed out how California weather allows the farm to operate year-round, so almost every Saturday of the year they are open to volunteers from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Consider joining them Saturday November 1st from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm for their 1st ever Farm Fest featuring a chili kickoff, live music, pumpkin patch, and arts and crafts.