We recently received this note from from Sasha, a young farmer and regular greenhorn radio listener who needs help Kickstarting an urban farm in Long Beach, CA:

I'm very excited to update you on the progress of the urban farm. On Thursday June 17th the Parks, Recreation and Marine Commissioners voted to approve and issue a right-of-entry permit to Long Beach Local for the use of 2712 California Avenue for the purpose of providing a one-acre urban farm and mulch yard. We got the farm!

With the land secured and the vision laid out now its time to get to work. Our vision is to create an urban/ rural connection within the local community and Farm Lot 59 will accomplish this in Long Beach. As the Farm grows, so will the need for employees, creating green jobs in Long Beach. The Farm will require labor to plant, harvest, process and take produce to market. Green jobs such as program director, farm operator, produce stand manager, events coordinator, master composter are envisioned and additional support services such as website hosting and maintenance, newsletter, and bookkeeper will be required. There are also opportunities for entry‐level jobs and internships.

And don’t forget we want to train young farmers. The farming industry has a very large generational gap the average farmer aged 55 or older has grown from 37% to over 60% in the last 60 years. Farm Lot 59 will be a local training ground for youth who want to continue in this trade and be able to make a living wage while doing what they love.

Farm Lot 59 will serve as an educational resource for the Long Beach community. Children, along with their parents and teachers they can come and learn about urban farming and earth’s ecosystems. Children will be able to meet chickens, explore the farming operation, and identify bugs and flowers. Nutrition education is an important component to the Farm, starting children off young eating their fruits and vegetables, learning how to shop on a budget and preparing meals at home. If you have interest in this aspect of the Farm please let us know. We are in the developing stages of this program.

A portion of the of the proposed Farm Lot 59 will be designated as the Municipal Mulch Pile, this will be our citywide composting and soil making facility. No more driving to San Pedro! The City of Long Beach along with restaurants and residents can bring their green waste to be composted. There will also be mulch provided by the Office of Sustainability’s Mulch‐a‐lot program. Successful gardening begins with healthy soil. Please let us know if you would like to be one of the first to get involved in this great program.

But all of these things will not be possible without funding. Please help us fund our project at Kickstarter, tell your friends and make this part of the community.

Thank you to everyone who has helped get us this far. You are all much appreciated and loved. See you in the fields!

Happy Growing!

Sasha Kanno