Saba Grocers Initiative began as a grassroots campaign following Oakland’s 2016 Soda Tax, when local corner store owners came together to address the health disparities they were seeing in their neighborhoods. What started as a small effort has grown into a robust distribution system connecting California farms directly to corner stores and increasing fresh produce access in marginalized neighborhoods. Now, Saba is scaling up, with plans to launch a community-owned Food Hub that will also serve institutions like schools, hospitals, and food banks.

We’ll start with a quick tour of the Oakland Produce Market - though it won’t be operating (we’d need a 4am event start time for that!) you’ll get a feeling for the space. We’ll then return to Saba for some small bites and drinks to get a view into their distribution process and plans for growth in the future.

Here’s your chance to see the Oakland Produce Market from the inside, to learn about Saba’s origins and get a first-hand account of their work - from identifying California BIPOC farmers to moving the produce from the field and into the bins and baskets of Oakland’s corner stores - and hear their plans to become a food hub

This will be an evening of connection - with fellow curious consumers and with this ambitious nonprofit organization. We hope it will give you a better idea of how exactly produce moves to those who need it.