Tucked between two modest homes, and not 500 feet from the LA River, sits Jardin del Rio Community Garden, a serene oasis of greenery and community. With its 28 plots, Jardin del Rio is a refuge for many older local residents, and a crucial source of food for families and children. But before it was a treasure, this small parcel […]
I met the garden’s treasurer and former coordinator of the Manzanita Community Garden, Trina Calderon, on a golden weekday evening and she leads me up the garden, stopping us often to enjoy the sights and scents emanating from vegetation growing out of the dozen or so terraced garden plots. The planters, which are made of weathered steel, are a gift […]
Despite almost 20 years as an attorney for a local utility, these days, Richard Tom introduces himself as an urban farmer. “People want to talk to me when they hear that,” he says. “Everybody has an interest in food in one way or another.” Richard has taken over the management of the Mott Street Urban Farm in Boyle Heights, and it’s […]