Flower Vendor, Jam Maker, Friend…Sasha Kanno-Wrigley Garden, has another fabulous project cooking right now and she needs our support. Her new organization is Long Beach Local, and she is starting a farm! Farm Lot 59. The name comes from old Long Beach palt maps and represent the original farm lot numbers. The city was actually full of farms back in the day.
It seems that the silver lining of these tough times is the need for folks to get a little more real. People start looking at ways to be frugal and make better choices on all purchases. Growing your own food, keeping chickens, cooking and living the lessons of the farm. The lack of interest in new construction allows gardens and green space to pop up all over. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….
Well, I think times are exciting and right now there is real opportunity to do good work. We are making connections and creating a city filled with interesting and thoughtful people of like minds. Long lasting and meaningful relationships create meaningful and long lasting projects. From school lunch reform and urban farms, to rain barrels and drought tolerant garden incentives.
Read a brief description of Sasha’s project below and then go watch the video. Share the kickstarter link with everyone and then make a pledge!
by Sasha Kanno, Long Beach Local-
I’m very excited to update you on the progress of the urban farm. On Thursday June 17th the Parks, Recreation and Marine Commissioners voted to approve and issue a right-of-entry permit to Long Beach Local for the use of 2712 California Avenue for the purpose of providing a one-acre urban farm and mulch yard. We got the farm!
With the land secured and the vision laid out now its time to get to work. Our vision is to create an urban/ rural connection within the local community and Farm Lot 59 will accomplish this in Long Beach.
As the Farm grows, so will the need for employees, creating green jobs in Long Beach. The Farm will require labor to plant, harvest, process and take produce to market. Green jobs such as program director, farm operator, produce stand manager, events coordinator, master composter are envisioned and additional support services such as website hosting and maintenance, newsletter, and bookkeeper will be required. There are also opportunities for entry‐level jobs and internships. And don’t forget we want to train young farmers. The farming industry has a very large generational gap the average farmer aged 55 or older has grown from 37% to over 60% in the last 60 years. Farm Lot 59 will be a local training ground for youth who want to continue in this trade and be able to make a living wage while doing what they love.
Farm Lot 59 will serve as an educational resource for the Long Beach community. Children, along with their parents and teachers can come and learn about urban farming and earth’s ecosystems. Children will be able to meet chickens, explore the farming operation, and identify bugs and flowers. Nutrition education is an important component to the Farm. Start them early! Young children love to eat their fruits and vegetables when they are exposed to good fresh produce and participate in the process of growing. Entire families will learn how to shop on a budget and prepare meals at home. If you have interest in this aspect of the Farm please let us know. We are in the developing stages of this program.
A portion of the of the proposed Farm Lot 59 will be designated as the Municipal Mulch Pile, this will be our citywide composting and soil making facility. No more driving to San Pedro! The City of Long Beach along with restaurants and residents can bring their green waste to be composted. There will also be mulch provided by the City’s Office of Sustainability Mulch‐a‐lot program. Successful gardening begins with healthy soil. Please let us know if you would like to be one of the first to get involved in this great program.
But all of these things will not be possible without funding. Please help us fund our project at Kickstarter, tell your friends and make this part of the community.
Kickstarter Project – Farm Lot 59
Kickstarter is a platform that helps people crowd-source funding for projects. It works like this: you launch a project, if enough people commit to financially backing your project by the target date, then the project gets funded and the backers recieve prizes. If the target amount isn’t met, the project does not get funded and backers are not responsible for their pledges. So please help us spread the word.
Thank you to everyone who has helped get us this far. You are all much appreciated and loved. See you in the fields!
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