partner spotlight: the berry good food foundation

Talk about putting community into a community garden.

Over the past few months, Chistina Ng of Berry Good Foundation, has been helping the chefs at bica grow fresh herbs like basil, bay leaves, and mint on our Normal Heights patio.

Christina works for the Berry Good Foundation, a local nonprofit on a mission to strengthen local food systems. As the organization’s “Foundation Cultivator,” Christina’s not just raising money or pushing paper — she’s cultivating seeds.

“Seeds for the Future” is Berry Good’s flagship program, nurturing the next generation of food producers through school gardens and cooking classes across San Diego County.

A decade ago, the organization’s founders recognized that farmers were aging out of their operations and that no successive generation was ready to fill the void.

So they began helping area schools harvest their own community farms. They provide the raw materials and resources to get started. Educators at each school take on the role of “Garden Champion,” and use grant funds to give a first hand experience to children and adults alike.

Christina found more “garden champions” right here on the bica patio.

She’s led farm tours to enrich the local chefs who gather here — from restaurants like Animae, Wolf in the Woods, Herb and Sea — to expand their knowledge about where their product comes from, visiting places like Heritage Farms, Mindful Mushrooms, and Olivewood Gardens.

The café is the first private business to receive a Seeds for the Future grant in the form of planters, soil and seeds.

Next time you’re at bica, take a moment to enjoy the patio — you may catch your favorite chef harvesting a bay leaf or enjoying a whiff of fresh basil.

Photos by Sam Hodgson / Uptown 11 Studios