South Central Farmers

Dear South Central Farmers,

We want to show our continuing support for you and your families. We mailed and faxed over 75 letters signed by UCLA medical students today, and hope to more than triple that number over the next week. This is the message we sent:

Dear Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa:

As a UCLA medical student, I am concerned about the loss of the South Central Farm and the effect it will have on the community. As a future physician, I believe that I must treat the whole person, addressing the social and cultural issues in addition to the medical needs. I therefore have an ethical obligation to support a community partnership that benefits the health of its working families.

Many of my classmates participated in the December 4th, 2005, South Central Farmers’ Health Fair and were fortunate to meet many of the individuals that cultivate the land. We quickly recognized that over 350 families, and the outlying neighborhoods, depend on the Garden for nutrition, medicines, and community support. Within the 14-acres of plotted land, we saw the hundreds of fresh fruits and vegetables and herbal medicines. The hard work of these farmers reflects a sense of ownership and cooperative spirit in an impoverished area. These positive attributes are vital to the wellbeing of the community.

We call upon you to reconsider the cultural and economic significance of this historic landmark. When Mayor Bradley granted this land to the community after the 1992 uprisings, it was to address the economic inequities. This project has been an essential safety net for the working poor of South Central Los Angeles. For the last 13 years it has helped to alleviate the effects of poverty and malnutrition in our low-income communities. These farmers have been able to help themselves at no expense to the taxpayers, aside from the land use.

We call upon you to stop the destruction of 13 years of successful community farming that has become an asset in South Central Los Angeles. We appreciate the complex legal predicament, but we believe that it is time to put community over capitalism and support the working families of Los Angeles.