STORIES OF URBAN FARMING AND FOOD ACCESS FROM SoCal AND BEYOND

Once the Largest Farming County in US, Los Angeles’s Agricultural Roots Laid Bare in New Book

Only a bird’s eye view truly reveals the extent of Los Angeles’s urban sprawl; a city crossed by ribbons of highways supporting unending streams of cars, where even its river is mostly encased in concrete. It’s hard to imagine that this was once a fertile place of such abundance that its name conjured up images of vineyards, orange groves and orchards; in which neighborhoods were better known for their celery than their celebrities. A timely new book, From Cows to Concrete: the Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles, by Rachel Surls and Judith Gerber explores Los Angeles’s past as the agricultural center of North America, tracing its precipitous path as it developed into a concrete metropolis. It’s a cautionary tale that also offers hope for the future in the form of the burgeoning urban farm movement and a renewed interest in community and backyard gardening. Read more . . .

In Fight Against Food Poverty, L.A. Kitchen Embraces Imperfect Fruit and Intergenerational Workforce

Fighting hunger is more than just about food for Robert Egger, founder and CEO of L.A. Kitchen, a non-profit in Los Angeles that engages, empowers, and nourishes the local community “by reclaiming healthy, local food that would otherwise be discarded, training men and women who are unemployed for jobs, and providing healthy meals to fellow citizens,” according to the organizations mission statement. “Fighting hunger is a political act, a social act, an economic act,” says Egger. “I want to be a source and develop a model that shows how you can feed more people a better meal with less money.” Read more . . .

Nine of America’s Largest Urban Farms

The American urban farm comes in many guises but come it does. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 800 million people worldwide practice urban agriculture. That accounts for between 15 to 20 percent of the world’s food supply. As urban ag continues to build momentum across all 50 states, the influence and scope of the urban farm is growing. Most of us think of less than a couple of acres when we think urban farm, yet urban farms are getting bigger. And some are getting really big. You know, given that whole city space constraint thing. Read more . . .

16 SoCal Food System-Focused Organizations that Need Your Support

As I am based in Southern California I wanted to make you aware of 16 organizations in the area focused on food access, community gardening, food justice, local food system development, fighting food waste, and food education that you can support. I probably missed a number of organizations, so please post your organization’s info in the comments section below to add it to the list. Happy Giving!!! Read more . . .

From Lima Beans to City Hall: A Los Angeles Couple Brings Food and Beauty to Local Neighborhoods

Fighting hunger is more than just about food for Robert Egger, founder and CEO of L.A. Kitchen, a non-profit in Los Angeles that engages, empowers, and nourishes the local community “by reclaiming healthy, local food that would otherwise be discarded, training men and women who are unemployed for jobs, and providing healthy meals to fellow citizens,” according to the organizations mission statement. “Fighting hunger is a political act, a social act, an economic act,” says Egger. “I want to be a source and develop a model that shows how you can feed more people a better meal with less money.” Read more . . .

10 ‘Agrihoods’ Growing Across the Country

Compulsory CSA memberships, an organic farm for your kids to run through, cultivate and harvest, residents encouraged to create their own farming businesses. These are just some of the facets of ‘agrihoods’, the farm-focused housing developments that are sprouting up across the country. Instead of simply paving over arable land, developers are beginning to embrace agriculture to lure home buyers, create community and conserve land. Over 200 agrihoods currently exist in America. Here are 10 agrihoods every informed urban ag enthusiast should know about. Read more . . .

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