Meet our NEW Vice-Board Chair, Erika Crenshaw

Get to know LACGC’s New Vice-Board Chair, Erika Crenshaw, who shares some of her views about community and gardening.

Tell us who you are and how you began to garden/grow your own food. 

The first gardening I ever did was setting up a big beautiful ceramic planter we had just bought while working abroad in 2014. My wife and I planted tomatoes for gazpacho.  

I remember my grandfather grew corn, squash, and beans on a little parcel of land in our hometown in Mexico. Mostly, I remember my grandma’s cooking and the pomegranate and lemon trees we had at the house. The cycle of my grandpa tending the land, growing corn, making the masa for my grandma, and making tamales to celebrate with family is a tradition that continues through the generations.

How and why did you get involved with LACGC? 

My cousin was visiting from Mexico and wanted to learn how to compost. We reached out to our nearest LA Compost hub in El Sereno in early 2019, and I haven’t left the garden since! Being invited to participate in the stewardship of community gardens across all of LA is an opportunity that has transformed into the lifelong path of caring for the earth.

What are some of your goals as the new Vice-Chair? 

• To bring/make community gardens accessible to any neighborhood that desires them.  
• To build sustainable garden leadership. 
• To inspire folks to nourish the land that feeds us.

What do you want our partner garden members to take away from participating in community gardens? 

• The land will heal you. 
• Listen to mother nature. 
• Love your community.

What are some ways folks can get involved or support the work that we do?
Show up on Saturday mornings at a community garden near you!  Donate Tools, Money & Time.

Learn more about the LACGC team here.