I remember visiting the provinces of the Philippines when I was quite young.  I used to love spending time at my grandparents' farm in Bicol and picking corn straight from the field and toasting it just a few steps away by the side of the house.  I also remember gorging ourselves with ripe mangos that we plucked from the trees behind my Aunt's house in Zambales.

I've tasted fresh produce and have compared it to the produce bought at large super markets.  There is just no substitute for freshness.  The fact of the matter is that most produce, if not all of them, start to die as soon as they get picked.  Some die slower than others but overall that they start losing their freshness. 

The produce that is bought in large super markets sometimes travels for several days prior to reaching the store.  To circumvent this issue and prolong the life, the produce is picked before they are ripe and some are injected or introduced to chemicals and gasses to simulate freshness.  This is the reason why local farms are important to the production and distribution of freshness.

Many urban farms are sprouting up around the Long Beach area, and this is a good thing.  More local farms means less travel time for the produce.  This means more fresh ingredients to be had.  Not only is there freshness being produced here but also green; and by "green" I mean environmentally friendly.  Most of the urban farmers are environmentally conscious and are using natural means of reducing and eliminating garden pests.  I've learned a technique called interplanting from one of the farmers where the combination of certain plants would deter bugs away from other plants.  One example that he gave was to plant basil around tomatoes.  Basil, an annual, is also successful in distracting bugs away from tomatoes so they are a great natural pesticide for tomato plants.

Sasha Kanno, the Director at Wrigley Gardens, is working on developing an amazing local farm in Long Beach which would help provide local jobs, as well as a financial benefit to the City.  It will promote a great source for healthy and fresh local ingredients to be available for families and local food establishments.  I encourage you to view the video and get involved.  This is much needed resource within the community so please donate to the project.

Sasha Kanno is a floral designer by trade but has also been a backyard farmer since childhood. She is the Director of Wrigley Garden; a community garden started in the spring of 2009 with its 40 plots, 14 hens and a small orchard she has fed many hungry mouths. She is also one of the founders of the Wrigley co‐op food exchange which harvests, shares and preserves the excess produce from our city.


Farm Lot 59, a biointensive mini farm is a new venture but she is dedicated to its success: “I am already growing amazing food and this farm will help me take it to the next level. This is the direct connection to the food that nourishes us all throughout our lives. Long Beach use to be full of agriculture, let's get back to our roots. Our children should be able to have wonderfully fresh food while growing up in the city.”