Squiggle Squad

CEO, David Feder

David was born and raised in the Garden State of New Jersey where he developed his passion for agriculture in his mother’s garden. Toiling in the soil since before he could walk, a relationship with plants has always guided his path. By the age of 18, he was a seasoned vermiculturist, selling homemade worm bins and compost to his local community. After high school, he moved to Marin County, CA to pursue a deeper connection with the food system. For two years, David studied and practiced the principles of permaculture at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden at the College of Marin, under the tutelage of Green Gulch Zen Center’s Wendy Johnson. He then transferred and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Ecosystems Management & Forestry. During his time at Cal, David worked in a Mycology research lab on campus where he studied edible mushroom cultivation, and helped create a student-run class offering an opportunity for communal meditative mindfulness practice.

David believes in affecting meaningful change by thinking globally and acting locally. His life’s work is creating the conditions conducive to growth in soil, soul, body, and mind. Working with UC Berkeley and the Kila Collective on a student mental health initiative, he co-creates contemplative gardening spaces that inspire presence, care, and community in the natural world. At Boxcar Flower Farm in Oakland, he uses worms to produce a rich compost from food waste that helps flowers grow on land that was once a parking lot. David has a dedicated yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practice that continually grounds and supports his life’s work. He is a determined leader who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Currently, David works as an Urban Farmer and Chef throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He is enthusiastically available for gardening, catering, and composting projects ongoing.