Business Spotlight: The Urban Edge Farm
A local, organic farm offering year round fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
About the Urban Edge Farm
This multigenerational farm, originally only known for their asparagus, was started in 2018 and was named by the farmers daughter. The Urban Edge Farm is just that, an organic farm on the edge of the Bay Area. The farm is 34-acres, there are 4 acres of certified organic vegetables and 16 acres of organic orchard. The Urban Edge raises and markets over 50 different specialty organic vegetables, herbs, and fruits, providing year-round employment. They practice growing techniques that keep the land vital and sustainable, such as planting cover crops, composting, and cultivating habitat areas for beneficial insects and wildlife.
Meet the Farmers
Organic Farming
It took 3 years to transition the into an organic orchard. To be certified as an organic farm you must abide by a set of USDA organic farming standards and be certified by an organic certification company. The Urban Edge is certified by CCOF a non profit world wide certification company. CCOF inspects the farm regularly to make sure they are abiding by the USDA’s organic farming regulations. The Urban Edge feels they are above organic because along with following the USDA’s organic practices they also do many regenerative practices to improve soil health and aid and protect pollinators. They have received grants from NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service) a division of USDA, for cover cropping and compost spreading to benefit soil health. They also plant native plants to help protect pollinators and other wildlife.
Activities and More
Seasonally the Urban Edge offers a variety of UPICK fruits, veggies, flowers and herbs for the general public to come and pick for themselves. Winter offerings include winter squash, ornamental pumpkins, kale, mustard greens, Asian greens mix, lettuce mix, lettuce, chard, broccoli bunches, and beets. In the spring & summer herbs and vegetables include parsley, cilantro, lettuce, lettuce mix, beets, chard along with spring & summer vegetables such as spring onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, chilies, summer squash, cucumbers, and basil. Spring & summer fruits available are cherries, apriums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, figs, persimmons, pomegranates and citrus and melons.
Patrons of the farm can also enjoy a picnic at one of the picnic tables on the property and can purchase additional snacks at the market on property. The market offers fresh sourdough bread and focaccias made daily by Mark Mena in a home kitchen. They are very popular and he have quite a following. They also sell grass fed dry aged beef in the market from Silva Family Ranch out of Tracy. Their cows graze in the Contra Costa County hills south of Mt Diablo.
If customers do not wish to pick their own produce, they can also order online and pick up from the store. This is a great way to support a locally owned business, as well as, eat healthy and organic.
Upcoming Events
The farm will be hosting along with Cravings N Cookies and Norma’s Wicked Salsa, An Evening in the Orchard from 4pm to 9pm on Aug 7th, Aug 28th and Sept 18th. There will be retail vendors and food vendors.
Keep an eye on their website for upcoming Farm to Table Dinners currently in the works.