Crop Swap LA ™
MICROFARMS
“Food, racism, power, and justice are linked... The next wave of human rights abuse is in the form of nutrition injustice.”
-Michael W. Twitty
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“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.”
-Michael Pollan
The Concept
Crop Swap LA™ began in 2018 as a way to unite Los Angeles gardeners to grow and share their; extra veggies, fruits, herbs, and valuable homemade items with each other and the community.
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Since then, the institution's mission has evolved to transforming lawns and unused spaces into microfarms that utilize irrigation systems with harvested rainwater.
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The goal is to have these microfarms located in areas that are hardest hit by food insecurity and food apartheid. Transportation time for produce to reach a traditional market can range from a few days to a few weeks, during which time the produce loses much of its nutritional value. Vitamin C losses, even when produce is refrigerated “..for 7 days range from 15% for green peas to 77% for green beans” - Dr. Diane M Barrett, Maximizing the Nutritional Value of Fruits and Vegetables.
By growing and sharing our produce within the local community, Crop Swap LA™ maximizes the nutritional content and quality of it’s fruits and veggies.
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Crop Swap LA™ donates a minimum of 10% from each microfarm harvest to local community organizations or community fridges. The remaining produce is sold to seasonal microfarm members, at an affordable price, who live close by.
Benefits
For Homeowners:
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Save money on your water bill​
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Possible tax rebate from the LADWP Turf Removal Program
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Receive a percentage of the weekly harvest
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Lower water usage and the carbon footprint
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For the Community:
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An affordable hyper-local resource for organically grown produce
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Being able to eat freshly cut produce when it's most nutritious
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Hyper local green jobs and training in urban agriculture
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Lowered CO2 emissions for the community