warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

A Twist On Edible Gardening In South LA

Tahsin Hyder |
February 24, 2014 | 6:45 a.m. PST

Staff Reporter

Katie Guevara and David Guevara Rosillo loved the idea of growing their own food, but never had the budget or know-how. After nine hours knuckle-deep in soil, all that's in the past.

"This is the last strawberry plant going in, and we’re all really exhausted and we just can’t wait to eat it, and eat everything else we planted," said Guevara.

South Los Angeles residents are known to have difficulty accessing fresh, organic produce. Grocers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's who offer a wide variety of organic produce don't have locations in South LA. While many farmer's markets have sprouted near Downtown Los Angeles, they don't reach far enough south for residents in South LA to attend. Locals also struggle for access to fresh food for other reasons.

The garden before the dig (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
The garden before the dig (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
"Most people in LA don’t know their neighbors and growing food for some reason just breaks those barriers down," says Florence Nishida, Founder of LA Green Grounds. “Our mission is bringing people together, including people who don’t know each other at all from this vast urban city to produce a garden and build something that’s beautiful, but also yields bounty that is healthy, fresh and pesticide-free," adds
Mapping out the garden (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
Mapping out the garden (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
Nishida.

Community bonding and sharing through food, is what Green Grounds hopes to foster in low income neighborhoods across Los Angeles. That's why Guevara and Guevara Rosillo were granted a backyard garden. Once they harvest their fruits and vegetables, they've promised to open a "farm stand" in their front yard for their whole neighborhood to enjoy and bond over. 

Adding compost to hold water (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
Adding compost to hold water (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
But it's not as simple as assembling a garden in one day and watching it grow. Speaks says many gardens didn't thrive in their initial year as an organization. That's why LA Green Grounds is creating a series of "follow visits" to educate recipients along the way.

"Native plants are mostly drought tolerant, but not all," says Steve Wong, a Green Grounds volunteer. "They require a very different type of care, because they send their roots very deep into the ground."

The completed garden (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
The completed garden (Hyder, Neon Tommy)
Certain plants, like native plants who have deep roots, require less frequent watering but for longer periods of time. Wong says knowing the difference between the two helps a garden thrive. Green Grounds wants to fostering knowledge about growing so that neighbors can initially bond over the yields of one garden, to bonding over growing practices for many gardens. 

ALSO READ: Neon Tommy's Full Environmental Coverage

Education is a key ingredient for more than the success of one garden; it's a step in ensuring an organization like LA Green Grounds can sustain itself and reach more communities. Green Grounds is entirely volunteer based and can undergo changes in staff. That's why they want to educate and support communities after a garden is installed. They hope this will provide the tools necessary to take ownership over cultivating more gardens in their community. 

However, it all starts one garden at a time. Guevara and Guevara Rosillo are thrilled at the sight of their new garden and can't wait for it to flourish. 

Reach Staff Reporter Tahsin Hyder here. Follow her on Twitter here



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
ntrandomness