May 24, 2006

Oasis in a Parking Lot

From an "agricultural oasis growing strawberries and fruit and nut trees in the most fertile soil near the Los Angeles River" to this Sundays-only market in a bank parking lot, Atwater Village hangs on to its urban farming history. From this morning's Los Angeles Times:
Pompea Smith, whose Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles runs the Atwater Village market (among others), which is coming up on its first birthday, says, "The community is very supportive of the concept, a way of bringing the community together. We have activities, storytelling almost every Sunday, local musicians for the children. We encourage local people, like a local man who makes mozzarella. One lady started a little business selling herbs from her backyard." [more]

No word on if Joan Baez would be willing to sit in a tree for those backyard "herbs." See the rest of LA's "certified" farmer's markets here. (Buy berries from the guy on Brunswick Ave. at your own risk.)

[Image from Eric Garcetti]

1 comment:

AVN said...

This week I finally walked along the LA River. Found out the hard way: east bank bad. Goes nowhere. Doesn't cross Los Feliz. Dead-ends at the Colorado on-ramp.

West bank's much better, bike path and all. No treesitters, but I did see someone in low-rise jeans rifling through garbage in the bushes below the AV pedestrian bridge.

Made no sense at all.

-AVN