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January 8, 2012
by Chris Cano
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This is a story about the events and inspiration that have led to creating a small business initiative called Gainesville Compost. During my first year as a college graduate, I worked on a local organic farm for about six months. Having spent much of my time doing freelance and personal web development — indoors and on a computer — I found it curiously relieving to do simple, albeit hard, physical labor as a… Read more»
September 1, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — RootDown LA is a youth-oriented nonprofit at the forefront of a grassroots effort to build a local urban food system in an area in South Los Angeles that has up to now been a virtual food desert. RootDown works not only to change the prevailing food paradigm at the neighborhood-level, but to create youth-led micro-enterprises, and jobs, in the process. I first spoke on the phone with Ali Bhai, the… Read more»
August 18, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — Nice potluck at the Micheltorena garden last night. A candlelit dinner in Silver Lake’s little Eden along busy Sunset Blvd. I enjoyed the company and the delicious garden bounty. Good to remember not only to work, but to play; not only to grow food, but to cook it and savor… Read more»
August 18, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — Many thanks to Lois Arkin for taking the time Wednesday to give me a 45-minute personal tour of the Eco-Village. The L.A. Eco-Village is a permaculture-oriented intentional community and neighborhood comprising two blocks near Vermont Ave and Beverly Blvd in the Mid-Wilshire district. It is a home to 40 residents who live and work there, and a public space to neighbors who may participate in its… Read more»
August 9, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — I first heard about Fruit Jam 2011 from the Permaculture Los Angeles Facebook page and decided to attend last Sunday because I liked the premise: a community gathering to make jam from public fruit. Fruit Jam is an annual event organized by Fallen Fruit, a group that works to locate fruit trees in public spaces and compile public fruit maps. The organizers asked participants to bring fruit picked from… Read more»
August 8, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — After the Micheltorena community garden workday last Saturday, I had the good fortune of receiving an exclusive tour of Moshe’s home garden. Moshe is a volunteer at Micheltorena who has an unmistakeable passion for growing food, and years of experience and knowledge on sustainable gardening, from his former home in Israel and from seven years living and gardening in Costa Rica. In past volunteer… Read more»
August 8, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — When in California, eat avocados! As a result of my California avocado binge, I’m left with a heap of empty avocado shells. Instead of sending them to the compost, I decided to take them last Saturday to the Micheltorena Elementary School garden for a fun garden project. Avocado Shell Seed Trays By planting seeds in avocado shells instead of plastic trays, the seedlings can be transplanted directly… Read more»
August 1, 2011
by Chris Cano
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LOS ANGELES — Before Micheltorena Elementary School built its community garden, the majority of the schoolgrounds was a vast, empty parking lot adjacent to the noisy West Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Thanks to a few committed neighborhood volunteers, this public school is now the prideful home of a beautiful and productive community garden. The Micheltorena garden is a real-world testing… Read more»
February 17, 2011
by Chris Cano
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This story was first published on my personal blog, where it received over 50 recommendations on Facebook. Please “like” this post on Urban Food America to spread the word about Our School at Blair Grocery. NEW ORLEANS — Last weekend while in New Orleans, I visited Our School at Blair Grocery, an alternative, hands-on school and non-profit organization focused on teaching youth in the Lower Ninth Ward the principles… Read more»