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[[Image:South_Central_Farm_2.jpg|thumb|250px|One of many banners on and around the fence of South Central Farm]]
[[Image:South_Central_Farm_2.jpg|thumb|250px|One of many banners on and around the fence of South Central Farm]]


The '''South Central Farm''', also known as the '''South Central Community Garden''', is an [[Urban area|urban]] [[farm]] and community [[garden]] located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets in industrialiezed [[South Los Angeles|South]] [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]] (formerly known as South Central Los Angeles). At 14 [[acre]]s (~0.056 km<sup>2</sup>), it is the largest [[Urban agriculture|urban farms]] in the [[United States]]. At five a.m. on June 13, the farmers were forcibly evicted.
The '''South Central Farm''', also known as the '''South Central Community Garden''', is an [[Urban area|urban]] [[farm]] and community [[garden]] located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets in industrialiezed [[South Los Angeles|South]] [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]] (formerly known as South Central Los Angeles). At 14 [[acre]]s (~0.056 km<sup>2</sup>), it is the largest [[Urban agriculture|urban farms]] in the [[United States]]. At five a.m. on June 13, the farmers were forcibly evicted. According to NBC news reports Daryl Hanna remianed in a tree with another portester despite the arrests of other protesters. As of 9:P29 PST she had not been removed.
[[Image:South Central Farm NASA 1.png|thumb|250px|South Central Farm Seen from an elevation of 10km.]]
[[Image:South Central Farm NASA 1.png|thumb|250px|South Central Farm Seen from an elevation of 10km.]]

Revision as of 16:43, 13 June 2006

One of many banners on and around the fence of South Central Farm

The South Central Farm, also known as the South Central Community Garden, is an urban farm and community garden located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets in industrialiezed South Los Angeles, California (formerly known as South Central Los Angeles). At 14 acres (~0.056 km2), it is the largest urban farms in the United States. At five a.m. on June 13, the farmers were forcibly evicted. According to NBC news reports Daryl Hanna remianed in a tree with another portester despite the arrests of other protesters. As of 9:P29 PST she had not been removed.

File:South Central Farm NASA 1.png
South Central Farm Seen from an elevation of 10km.

History

Before the creation of the garden, the land belonged to nine different owners the largest of which was Alameda-Barbara Investment Company, a real-estate firm which purchased its share in 1980. The company held 80% of the property that would become the present urban garden. [1] The city of Los Angeles acquired the land, by eminent domain, in 1986 for the purpose of building a waste-to-energy incinerator known as the Los Angeles City Energy Recovery Project. This idea was abandoned due to community opposition, led by Juanita Tate and Concerned Citizens of South-Central Los Angeles.

Following the 1992 riots, the City of Los Angeles set the land aside for use as a community garden. In 1994 it contracted with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank to operate the property as a community garden.

Nine years later, on August 13, 2003, the city council sold the property to Ralph Horowitz, one of the former owners of the property, for $5,050,000 . [2] The City Council discussed and approved the terms of the settlement in closed session. Shortly thereafter the Los Angeles regional Foodbank abandoned the project. In response the farmers formed an organization calling themselves the 'South Central Farmers Feeding Families.'

On January 8, 2004, Horowitz issued a notice to the gardeners setting February 29, 2004, as the termination date for the community garden. In response members of the South Central Farmers Feeding Families obtained legal counsel (Hadsell & Stormer, Inc., and Kaye, Mclane & Bednarski LLP) and filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the sale of the property. The Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order and later a preliminary injunction halting development of the property until the lawsuit could be settled. The farmers lost the lawsuit.

Horowitz sought $16.3 million for the property, more then three times the price he paid for it two years ago.[3] In a deal brokered in cooperation by The Trust for Public Land, the SCF have succesfully raised a little over six million dollars. Fundraising efforts continued as farmers and celebrites have begun both a tree sitting campaign and occupation of the land, while under the threat of forced eviction by the Los Angeles County Sherrif Department. [4]

On June 7, 2006, the Annenberg Foundation announced that they would donate the money to buy the farm. Horowitz, however, did not respond to the offer, since it came after his May 22 deadline.[5]

At three a.m. on the morning of June 13, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department arrived at the farm, fully surrounding it by four a.m. At five a.m., the sheriffs entered the farm, giving the occupants 15 minutes to evacuate. At that point, most of the occupants of the land left, with a few verbal skirmishes reported. Authorities permitted neither press nor attorneys to enter the farm. Approximately 20 people chained themselves together to resist the eviction. Helicopter photography revealed that the sheriff's department was using high-powered saws to break the chains, and Daryl Hannah has yet to be removed from the walnut tree used as a lookout point.

Plant life (Biodiversity)

One of many cactus patches that serve as natural fencing and food
The son of a farmer showing off seeds he will plant in their farm
Different variety of tomatoes and beans for sale at the sunday farmers market at the Farm

The SCF contains an estimated 100 to 150 species of plants (37 of which have been identified by Dr.Devon G. Peña professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington, Acequia Institute) According to Dr. Peña the inventory of plants present at the farm represent its connection to Mega-Mexico, a Vavilov center, one of the original Anthropological locations where plants were domesticated. This Vavilov center stretches from the southern end of Mexico (Chiapas) up to South-Western United States. Some of the plants present have been reintroduced to the area by the farmers, decendents of the original inhabitants of Meso-America. The relationship between the farmers and the plants is not like modern farming. Many plants that are seen as weeds by modern farmers have multiple uses to immigrant farmers. These plants function as crops, herbal medicine, spiritual use, and/or as companion plants.

The Farmers

South Central Farmers at their general meeting

The South Central Farmers consist of approximately 350 poor families from the neighboring community. They are a self-governing organization. This group has transformed the property from a junk filled space into one of the largest urban gardens. Since the notification of the impending destruction of the garden, the group has become politically active and have gathered supporters in politics, higher-learning, entertainment, and abroad.

The operating framework of of the SCF is made made up of elected roles recruited from the General Assembly of the farmers. Some of these positions, are publically visible representatives of the SCF, such as Rufina Jaurez and Tezozomoc. These two "voices" are often mistaken for the organization's leaders, because they often need to interact with the outside public. All roles taken by members of the SCF exist soley to fulfill a need or set of needs to continue the healthy life span of the farm. On the farm women fullfill a majority of the roles from accounting to that of lot monitors.

Notable supporters

Critics

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Central Farm.
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