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In 1992 the city of Los Angeles leased a 14-acre piece of land to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to begin a community garden. The land was located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets in South Central L.A. The community of South Central had long struggled with poverty and was recovering from events that led to the 1992 L.A. Uprising. No one would have pegged it as the home of what would become one of the nation’s largest urban gardens. But that is just what the plot of land became. The farmers and community members who worked it named themselves the South Central Farmers Feeding Families. The farm contained over 100 species of fruits, vegetables and herbs, including avocados, guava’s, and white sage brush. In 2003 the city sold the property and the South Central Farmer’s received a notice to vacate in 2004. They fought the eviction in court, gaining wide spread support from community members and nationally known figures like Ralph Nader, Joan Baez, Immortal Technique, and Darryl Hannah. The South Central Farmer’s were evicted in 2006. Shortly after, in 2007, the Farmer’s were gifted 85 acres of prime farmland in Buttonwillow California. While leasing land in Bakersfield, they made needed improvements to the donated farm, including adding a water well. This past June they celebrated their official move to Buttonwillow. But their fight to return to L.A. is not over. On July 30th the South Central Farmers will meet with L.A. Deputy Mayor Larry Frank to discuss possibilities.

GUEST: Tezozomoc, representative of the South Central Farmers

Find out more at www.southcentralfarmers.com, or call 1-800-249-5240. Call council member Jan Perry’s office at (213) 473-7009.