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Across the East Bay, local neighborhoods are turning lawns and underutilized land into vibrant, productive edible gardens, cultivating fresh food, mutual aid, and lasting community bonds. At the center of this movement is San Leandro non-profit Tandi Family Farms (TFF), founded in 2024 by Executive Director Andrea Tandi-Gorham and Renata Browne to honor Andrea's family’s century-long farming heritage and her grandfather, farm-to-table chef Nonno John Tandi.
Through its signature Victory Garden Project, TFF removes the financial risk of urban farming by providing local residents, schools, and community organizations with complete garden kits, soil, irrigation, organic seedlings, hands-on workshops, cooking classes, and a full year of ongoing mentorship, all at little or no cost.
In just two years, TFF has grown from 10 modest plots to a network of over 175+ gardens across San Leandro, Oakland, Castro Valley, and Hayward. Together with key local partners, including the Davis Street Community Center, Building Futures, The LEAP Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro, Roosevelt Elementary School, and James Baldwin Academy,TFF has already harvested and secured over 10,500 pounds of fresh produce, bringing food justice to more than 600 neighbors.
A Living Sanctuary Across the East Bay
The impact of these gardens extends far beyond the soil, fostering what Tandi-Gorham calls a "Model of Reciprocity", where giving and receiving nourish the community as one:
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Building Front-Porch Connections in San Leandro: Along Lewis Avenue, TFF’s first satellite neighborhood cohort, herbs, vegetables, and flowers fill front yards and spill along sidewalks. "Instead of retreating indoors, neighbors are now outside weeding, watering, and harvesting together," says resident Kimberly Anderson. When a sudden aphid infestation threatened local crops, neighbors turned it into a collaborative strategy session rather than an individual crisis, leading to shared harvests and impromptu front-porch dinners.
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Creating a Healing Resource in East Oakland: Facing rising food costs and shrinking benefits, Leila McCabe-Williams, Executive Director of Beloved Communities Network, partnered with TFF to transform her East Oakland property into the 47th Avenue Beloved Community Garden. Anchored by raised beds, a passion fruit living wall, and an orchard, the site has harvested and distributed over 2,500 pounds of organic produce since March 2026. Fresh food feeds neighbors directly through two community fridges and a weekly pop-up pantry, creating a space where food access and trust grow hand-in-hand.
Help Expand the Harvest This Holiday Season
Moving into 2027, TFF’s network is expanding to 175+ gardens, including seven school and community center gardens, as well as three satellite farms where entire blocks cultivate land together as a single community.
To sustain this rapid growth and build necessary infrastructure, such as doubling the growing capacity at satellite farms like 47th Avenue, Tandi Family Farms is launching its Season of Giving campaign with a goal to raise $75,000 this holiday season.
Every contribution directly funds soil, fruit trees, irrigation, building materials, tools, and mentorship for incoming cohorts. By supporting TFF, local businesses and residents are investing in a healthier, more connected, and food-secure East Bay.
Get Involved:
To donate, partner, or learn more about supporting local food security, visit tandifamilyfarms.org.
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