Our Current Project:
As water and land is limited by the drought and urban density, it has become increasingly difficult to find access to healthy, sustainable, and affordable organic food as well as green spaces that benefit the physiological and psychological well-being of our communities. Recognizing the benefits of community urban farms, our plan is to work within dense urban spaces to establ
ish solar-powered, sustainable, community urban farms using a new water-wise conservation strategy in downtown Los Angeles without having to invest in real estate. We thus work with the urban environment as it presents itself to us. The Tower Garden System is soil-less and uses 90% less water compared to soil based farming through its vertical aeroponic design. Plants thrive with purified pH controlled water and micro nutrients, providing a “beyond organic” farming technique. In 2016, we will establish a solar-powered water conservation and urban vertical farm pilot project and job training program at Union Church in downtown Little Tokyo. In partnership with LA Urban Farms, Union Church L.A., and Union Rescue Mission, we will install twenty vertical tower garden planters on the South side of Union Church L.A., located two blocks from Skid Row. Further, in an effort to help homeless individuals secure needed jobs and provide fulfilling and healthy physical activities for seniors living in Little Tokyo, GIVE will train local seniors and job-ready former Skidrow residents through Union Rescue Missions’ Job Development Program in the maintenance and care of the Tower Gardens. While the project is focused on outreaching to former Skidrow residents and seniors, the program and space will be open to all Little Tokyo residents to benefit the community life and health of the whole neighborhood. Our long-term goal is to train and develop an urban farmers market network where urban farmers will be able to receive micro-loans to start their own businesses, and sell their produce at local farmers markets and to restaurants. Following this current pilot project, we also plan to start new urban community farms in other neighborhoods of Los Angeles and offer additional job training programs related to urban farming, solar power, the food industry, and other green initiatives.
