note:

The following film is the result of an ethnographical study focussed on The Growing Experience, an urban farm located in Long Beach, California and adjacent to the Carmelitas public housing development. The purpose of this study is to dive into the sustainability measures of a farm located in the densely populated region whilst understanding the relationship to the public housing development and how the residents interact with the farm. The research methods I conducted for this study include interviews with the program director, Holly Carpenter, and with Manuel Cisneros, resident of Carmelitas and farmer for TGE; observations from the farms’ workshop teaching residents uses for a range of fruits and vegetables; analyzing the neighborhood of North Long Beach and researching its archival history. The goal of this study is to inform educate viewers on sustainability, affordability, and nurturing healthy agriculture in urban spaces.

North Long Beach is widely regarded as a food desert in terms of making healthy and affordable foods available to the public. On nearly every corner you’ll find a fast food joint with so many cheap but corn-oiled fried foods. There is a lack of nutritional education amongst the community which is why the initiative to ignite The Growing Experience began. Urban farms are for cities that are densely populated. The ability to cultivate enough produce for nearby residents in a tight space is important for areas like Long Beach. A lot of produce from conventional farm locations must travel far distances to get to Long Beach which requires them to be sprayed in preservatives and lessens its nutrients.

The Growing Experience is the primary resource available for community members nearby, especially those living in Carmelitas. The residents at the housing projects range from seniors to families with children and many of them have accessibility issues to get healthy ingredients. Hundreds of food businesses base their model around ‘sustainability’ and ‘eco-friendly’, but anthropologists Sarah Davenport and Joanna Mishtal challenge their values. They challenge that even sustainable businesses model their products towards a wealthier audience to avoid low-income neighborhoods which just widens the nations’ food insecurity crisis. The Growing Experience makes it clear that the urban farm is for the residents, giving them multiple outlets of accessing fresh produce that don’t require money, such as their volunteer program.

During the interview with lead farmer Manuel, he echoed the concerns of climate change that have been riveting in the news over the years. But he was able to provide direct first-hand experience as to what effects he witnessed and what methods he’s been able to use that are prosperous in an urban environment. One example is the development of a ‘drip irrigation’ technique where produce are vertically grown on a rack as water drips down through the entire crop and recycled from the bottom. This was calculated to use 75% less water than conventional ways. Perhaps the most admiring factor of The Growing Experience is the connection to the community. The farm regularly host volunteer opportunities, cooking workshops, art activities for the youth, and much more. This is not another government run program that is so disengaged with the community, rather just the opposite.

This video is produced by me. Shot on Sony A7 and edited with Premiere Pro. Interview and research also done by me.