3 Urban Farms You Didn’t Know Were in Long Beach
Choosing to shop at a local farm instead of the nearest grocery store might not always be the first thing that pops into your head when you’re running low on produce. But whether you knew it or not, there are actually a variety of local, urban farms where you can purchase fresh, affordable produce. Many of these farms are run by locals with a vision to educate the community on sustainable living and how fresh produce is always the better option. Here are four urban farms in Long Beach that you might not have been aware of until now!
Long Beach Farms
3515 Linden Ave. Long Beach, CA, 90807
This urban farm was started by Long Beach resident Demitrius Zeigler, a local food advocate. Long Beach Farms started out with a goal to create secure, local, sustainable food. Zeigler wanted to bring the best possible grown food in the community and started doing that by creating a series of small farm sites in North Long Beach. The farms all sit within blocks of each other and offer a way to consistently provide locals delicious food. The farms also offer a series of “Farm Box” options for residents who want to sign up for one of the subscriptions. You can choose between a family-sized box, a small size, and more. The boxes are curated on a weekly basis with the best and most fresh produce from the farm. Zeigler’s experience in farming locally on small plots has helped to enrich the community of Long Beach by providing seasonal fruits and vegetables that will help sustain a healthier community.
Learn more here: http://www.longbeachfarms.com/
Farm Lot 59
2714 California Ave. Long Beach, CA, 90755
I first heard about Farm Lot 59 in 2017 when they had reopened their Farmstand. It is a quaint stand tucked away on California Avenue and sells fresh produce from the farm plots located behind it. The Farm Lot is part of the nonprofit organization, Long Beach Local, whose mission is to incubate urban farming and food education from the ground up. Not only do they provide produce to the community, but they also teach farming to locals through training, cooking classes, and more. They are a working organic farm that creates a place where locals can come to explore farming and healthy food. The Farmstand is opened seasonally and will be releasing their spring 2018 hours soon! Which means in no time, you’ll be able to round up your friends and family to do your weekly grocery shop at their farmstand.
Learn more here: http://www.farmlot59.org/
The Growing Experience
750 Via Carmelitos, Long Beach, CA, 90805
The Growing Experience is a farm and community garden located in North Long Beach. This area of Long Beach has been referred to as a food desert, meaning there are not many places where locals have access to fresh, healthy produce. This farm is able to provide that access to local residents by producing local, healthy foods at their farm. In addition to providing food, they also help to educate the community through workshops, programs, and community events. This farm is an amazing model of sustainability for the community. You can find fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and more that are grown without harmful pesticides, and instead are grown using sustainable methods. It is an amazing farm to support who in turn gives back to the surrounding community!
Learn more at: https://growingexperiencelb.hacola.org/home
These three farms are just a few examples of the local agriculture that can be found in Long Beach. What is so great about the community is that everyone helps to rally behind the farms by supporting them on their quest to providing access to local, healthy produce. If you have ever thought about supporting local farms, there is no better time than now to do so. Hopefully the next time you are low on your produce, you’ll head out to one of these farms and will get to experience what it is like to help support a thriving sustainable community.
