Cultivating Green Space: Brownfield to Urban Farm

Green space, park access, and trees

San Fernando Valley

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The Northeast San Fernando Valley (NESFV) is a frontline community that has been historically impacted by multiple environmental justice issues, including the lack of access to green spaces and overburden by pollution. CalEnviroScreen 4.0 has ranked multiple census tracts in the NESFV in the top 25 percent Disadvantaged Communities in California using pollution burden and population characteristics. According to the 2022 LA County Park Needs assessment  the Mission Hills -Panorama City-North Hills Area, in which the project is located, is one of LA County’s highest need communities having only 0.5 acres of park space per 1,000 residents compared to county average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 and a greater lack when comparing to national standard of 10.2 acres per 1,000 established by National Recreation and Park Association. These conditions can lead to negative health outcomes that can be addressed by our transformation project creating a new green space and increasing food access.

Black Thumb Farm has expanded our impact in every year of operation. This year we have grown more food, hosted more events, and had more youth and community members attend our programming than ever. We have been working with our local City Council District and community partners to secure a plot of land to build out the new Black Thumb Farm home located in the Mission Hills- Panorama City- North Hills Area.This plot of land is brownfield that will be remediated by City of LA and BTF is responsible for funding infrastructure and programming. Some of the components of this space include the following: office space, learning garden,flower garden, vegetable garden, gathering space, compost lab, teaching kitchen, and farm & flower stands, designated community garden plots. Throughout the farm there will be CA Native plants and fruit trees as well as a storm water catchment system that will provide many benefits. The plot of land is adjacent to the Pacoima Wash which is a significant tributary to the LA River and our local watershed. With the expansion of physical space (from 1/20th of an acre to 2.4 acres) we can grow more food for our community, host more youth programming, and provide more cultural and educational workshops. Cultivating Green Spaces: Brownfield to Urban Farm will not only increase green space for our community members in the NESFV but it will have a positive impact on our non-human relatives such as our local water, land and the seeds we sow.

Increasing green space in Los Angeles County, in a high need community, will improve the quality of life for a population that is often overlooked. Transforming a space that is underutilized into a green space that fosters community, learning, play and connection to the land while addressing food insecurity that often stems from economic inequality would be a great achievement to get Los Angeles County closer to being the best place to live and grow. This is a project that can be replicated to create community centered spaces that are multi beneficial to address multifaceted issues that our communities face. Including health issues that arise from not having enough open and green space, LA County would be a place with lower levels of: childhood obesity, asthma. It would be a place that has strong and healthy communities that are sustainable and self-sufficient, a community that has clean air, green spaces, and healthy food in 2050.