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In these days of economic turmoil, unemployment, high food prices, and global warming, there are precious few examples of urban eco-sustainability. One example right here in LA stands out sharply: The South Central Farm, a 14 acre plot of land, loaned to immigrant farmers by the City of Los Angeles expressed the ideal of community farming and environmental sustainability. Small plots of land, worked by over 300 families, yielded crops like corn, papaya, bananas, and even some fruits and vegetables only seen in Latin America. But there was one problem. The developer who purchased the land from the city in a back room deal, decided he wanted the farmers to vacate the property. The political and legal battle over the South Central farm was a dramatic story that captured the hearts of Los Angelinos, particularly KPFK listeners. This station was intimately involved in reporting the struggle. And so was film maker, Scott Hamilton Kennedy, whose documentary about it, The Garden, has now been nominated for best documentary by the Academy Awards. The back story of how the community garden was ultimately destroyed is explored through the lens of city politics, real estate development and community struggle. Protagonists highlighted in “The Garden,” include South Central Farm organizers Tezozomoc and Rufina Juarez as well as those who tilled its soil such as Eddie Luvianos Rumbos and Josefina Medina. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called the film, “an excellent documentary!” whose “lessons about the levers of power and politics are relevant everywhere.” Today, even though the documentary is not yet available on DVD to the public, through special arrangement with the film maker, we are able to offer you a first chance to own this piece of LA history.

GUEST: Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Producer, Director of “The Garden.”

Visit “The Garden” online at www.thegardenmovie.com. Visit the South Central Farmers online at www.southcentralfarmers.com.