Urban Adamah

Founded in 2010 as the first urban Jewish community farm in the United States, the seeds of Urban Adamah were planted almost a decade earlier in Connecticut with the Adamah Fellowship at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. The program has graduated more than 800 individuals who have contributed significantly to Jewish life, social justice, and environmental stewardship. The farm initially operated on an acre of undeveloped land donated by Rich Robbins, CEO of Wareham Development, in West Berkeley. The early years focused on building the farm and its programs, including raised beds for vegetables, greenhouses, a small aquaponics system, teaching tents, meditation spaces, chickens, bees, and milking goats.

The farm employs a blend of traditional and modern agricultural methods and technologies, engaging participants in all aspects of the agricultural cycle from seed to harvest, food preparation, and composting. The practice of sustainable agriculture is deeply intertwined with Jewish values such as kindness, justice, and love, which guide the farm's efforts. The farm also emphasizes mindfulness, encouraging participants to integrate mindful awareness into their daily lives and become more present and available to others. Social action is a core component, with participants working to provide food for those in need and volunteering at other food access and urban garden organizations.

The Urban Adamah Fellowship is a three-month residential training program for young adults that combines urban organic farming, social justice training, and progressive Jewish learning and living in an intentional community. The farm has grown and distributed more than 300,000 pounds of produce and eggs. Participants gain significant skills, training, and experience in sustainable urban agriculture, Jewish spirituality, intentional community, and leadership development. The farm's mission is to build a more loving, just, and sustainable world by providing farm-based, community-building experiences.