South Central Farmers

http://ejfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/restoring-south-central-farm-is-within.html

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

RESTORING SOUTH CENTRAL FARM IS WITHIN REACH

EL RITO, CO.  Dear friends and followers: I am happy to report the launching of a global campaign to restore the South Central Farm in Los Angeles and place this agroecological treasure back in the hands of the indigenous farmers and their extended community of families seeking food sovereignty. The recovery and restoration of this rare urban commons is one of the most profound environmental justice and food sovereignty campaigns of our time. Please join me today and help us restore this agroecological wonder.

          Established in 1992, in the aftermath of the Rodney King Insurrection, the South Central Farm became the largest urban agricultural landscape in the nation. Ten of 14 acres at the urban site, in the middle of a warehouse and wrecking yard district, were intensively cultivated with more than a 100 different species of unique Mesoamerican heirloom row crops, medicinal herbs, fruit vines, orchard and sacred ceremonial trees, and cacti. For an early study of the ethnobotany and agro-biodiversity of the original farm, please visit The Acequia Institute Research Reports page and scroll down to Link 7.

          In 2003, The South Central Farmers (SCF) organized a campaign to save the farm from developers. The farmers resisted eviction until June of 2006. The eviction occurred despite the fact that the SCF successfully raised the $16.5 million the land owner was asking for the purchase of the land. The origins of the farm and the 3 year-long campaign against eviction became the topic of an Oscar-nominated documentary film, "The Garden."

          Over the past four years since the eviction, the SCF have gone on to establish a farm near Bakersfield in the community of Buttonwillow, about two hours north of LA. Last month, the farmers had a ceremony attended by the Honorable Maxine Waters (D-CA) to initiate the opening of the irrigation system to water the 80-acre Buttonwillow site. However, the farmers seek to return to their urban roots, while continuing to build the broader movement for food sovereignty through the activism of their "community-based agriculture" project in Buttonwillow.

          For more information and to join me in this righteous cause, please go to BUY BACK SOUTH CENTRAL FARM.