LA Mayor Antonio Villairagosa Speaks Out About the South Central Farm
A major new development in the struggle to save the South Central Farm came Wednesday when LA Mayor Antonio Villairagosa announced his interest in helping the farmers raise the funds needed to buy out the farm land from private owner Ralph Horowitz.
The history of the farm — the largest urban community garden in the United States — is long, complicated and contestable, involving a 20-plus-year-old eminent-domain grab; a successful grassroots mobilization to stop development of a trash incinerator in the middle of a neighborhood; the 1992 LA uprising; closed-door meetings between landowners’ and LA city attorneys; a largely MIA city council; and more than a decade of sustainable agriculture, autonomous organizing, and community building on 14 acres in one of the poorest, most industrial neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
After decades of struggle over ownership and land use on the streets and in the courts, on January 30 the LA Superior Court ruled decisively against the farmers — officially rendering them squatters on the land. Then, on February 8, in response to an organized media campaign, Mayor Antonio Villairagosa appeared on a local TV news broadcast (KCAL 9) to say he wants to help the farmers raise the money to buy out the land. “The city can’t afford to [buy it],” he insisted, but he as mayor does intend to “negotiate with the landowner and identify people who can help.”
The South Central Farmers are currently looking for donors willing to make large investments * and * remain accountable to the farmer-organizers and their communities. To watch Villairagosa’s address and get the latest news from the farmers themselves, visit their Web site .
And keep an eye out for Clamor’s spring issue, which will include a feature story on the SCF, including oral histories of several farmer-organizers and interviews with landowner Ralph Horowitz, farmer-organizer Tezozomoc, and LA Regional Food Bank spokesperson Darrin Hoffman.
February 22nd, 2006 at 10:40 am
Great post. We need to do a better job of explaining the value of community gardens. As a member of our housing authority board here in Toledo, I’ve managed to help out with some funding, but it’s proven a challenge to me to get other folks to see why it’s important. You can’t do it very well with $ arguments, so people often have a hard time getting their arms around it.
June 14th, 2006 at 10:35 am
How does this work in America, the ownner has every right to sell the land off, and for the farmers that I feel bad for but have not given any thing to hold there spot in the land this is wrong. He gave them time, and money to do this. If anything the farmers were taking advantage of the ownner. and these people showing up just be cause there actors to make fame for there selfs is the worst thing makes this so wrong. IN MY OPION ITS THE OWNNERS DEAL.