Bayer encourages others to help fund Dandelion Kitchen<\/a> or volunteer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dandelion Kitchen spun out of a meals program at the Berkeley Food Network<\/a> (BFN) three years ago. Since then, the organization has been cooking out of a shared kitchen at Urban Adamah<\/a> in Northwest Berkeley. The arrangement has worked well, with Dandelion Kitchen\u2019s volunteers working on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They make about 750 meals a week and distribute them to supportive housing complexes, the Women\u2019s Cancer Resource Center<\/a>, the Women\u2019s Daytime Drop-in Center<\/a>, the Bear Pantry<\/a> at University Village and through partnerships that now reach Contra Costa County, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n They work closely with BFN to source fruits and vegetables, recovered mainly from Berkeley Bowl market. They also get food donations from such local merchants as Starter Bakery, the Cheeseboard Collective and Oaktown Spice Shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Volunteers then cook up nutritious meals using the fresh ingredients combined with pantry staples or other items on hand. Recent dishes have included a black bean, mango and sweet corn salad, pasta salad with pistachio arugula pesto, summer stone fruit crisp and spicy bean and kale soup.<\/p>\n While the Dandelion Kitchen volunteers appreciate the use of Urban Adamah\u2019s kitchen, sharing space has its limitations, said co-founders Rob Biniaz and Veronica Volny. The team of approximately 35 volunteers can only use the kitchen during certain times, and they can\u2019t customize the layout for the improvisational cooking style that comes from working with whatever ingredients happen to be available on a given day.<\/p>\n Soon, those limitations will be in the past. A donor has acquired a building for Dandelion Kitchen in northwest Berkeley, and the organization is completing renovations. The 2,500-square-foot space will include a 1,000-square-foot kitchen designed specifically for its use. Work is scheduled to be completed by September.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just down the street, a few blocks, and it\u2019s going to give us 24\/7 access and allow us to really increase our capacity,\u201d said Biniaz, who also serves as the organization\u2019s board chair. The expansion will allow Dandelion Kitchen to add more volunteers and distribution partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bayer helps turn up the heat<\/p>\n Even before the move, Dandelion Kitchen has been increasing its capacity by making small changes that translate into big results.<\/p>\n Last year, the organization inherited a commercial food dicer from FoodShift, a food recovery organization in Alameda Point that was closing its prepared food operations. Not having to hand-dice onions and other vegetables that go into virtually every dish promised a significant time savings, but the equipment\u2019s blades were cost-prohibitive. Funding from Bayer covered the cost of the blades. Bayer\u2019s support also helped purchase a large commercial convection oven, a commercial freezer and refrigerator. The contribution will help buy more equipment for the new kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bayer investment came along at a very propitious time because it allowed us to buy some key pieces of equipment,\u201d Biniaz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe ended 2025 sending out just over 27,000 servings of food, and we recovered just over 6 tons of food that otherwise would have gone into the waste stream. A lot of that was due to the capacity that Bayer allowed us to increase.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bayer funds also will help purchase more equipment for the new facility. Dandelion Kitchen is going all electric with its appliances, including commercial-grade induction burners that will bring large soup pots to a boil quickly.<\/p>\n Bayer support for other nonprofits<\/p>\n The Bayer funding is part of the company\u2019s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations that address climate action, health equity and economic resilience in West Berkeley. In 2025, Bayer awarded nearly $425,000 in investments \u2014 to be given over three years \u2014 to six community organizations, including Dandelion Kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n The awards were part of a 30-year development agreement extension in 2022 with the city of Berkeley, which included $33.1 million in community investments over the agreement\u2019s full term.<\/p>\n The other five organizations that received funding have also been expanding their work in the community.<\/p>\n The other five organizations that received funding have also been expanding their work in the community are:\u00a0<\/p>\n Women\u2019s Daytime Drop-in Center<\/a> helps unhoused women and children transition into safe housing.<\/p>\n Girls Garage<\/a>, a design and construction program for teen girls and gender-expansive youth, completed its first full home renovation in 2025.<\/p>\n Homeless Action Center<\/a> is helping people navigate the changing public benefits environment.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DK-Food-pix.jpeg\")
This salad combined apples harvested by the Oakland Gleaners, celery and grapes from Berkeley Bowl, toasted pecans from the Cheeseboard Collective and dill from the farm at Urban Adamah. It went to residents at Golden Bears Homes on San Pablo Avenue. Courtesy of Dandelion Kitchen<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DK-2-women-cooks.jpg\")
Gale Berkowitz, right, from El Cerrito volunteers at Dandelion Kitchen weekly. At left is her daughter, chef Lena Miller, visiting from Colorado. Courtesy of Dandelion Kitchen<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DK-new-kit-construction.jpeg\")
A new workspace for Dandelion Kitchen is under construction in the Gilman District of West Berkeley on 8th\u00a0Street and is expected to be ready by early fall. Courtesy of Dandelion Kitchen<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DK-bright-salad.jpeg\")
This beet and citrus salad combined donations from the Cheeseboard Collective, Berkeley Bowl and the Oakland Gleaners, and went to supportive housing residents in Berkeley. Courtesy of Dandelion Kitchen<\/p>\n