1

Growing Justice in the City:

Urban Agriculture, Cultural Diversity, and Municipal Politics

Teresa MaresDepartment of Anthropology

tmares@u.washington.edu

2

A Quick History of Urban Agriculture in the US

War Gardens and

Victory Gardens

During the World Wars

3

A Quick History..continued (and made more radical!)

The 1960s and 1970s: The beginning of guerrilla gardening and the roots of

social justice

4

Current Struggles in Urban Agriculture: The Case of the South

Central Farm

• South Central Community Garden: Was one of the larger community gardens in the US: 14 acres, 350 families.

• Located in a largely poor and working class neighborhood in the South Central area of Los Angeles, CA.

• Many of the farmers were low income Latino/a immigrants from Mexico and Central America

5

•Controversy resulted from conflicting interests among urban developers, the LA city government, and the South Central Farmers Feeding Families over who has the right to the land•Protests by the farmers escalated in March, 2006 when the Farmers received an eviction notice.•Farm was eventually bulldozed in June 2006

Bulldozers and Celebrities: The Protests at South Central

6

Urban Agriculture in Seattle:

The Role of Government and Nonprofit Agencies

•Seattle Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Program•Cultivating Communities•Seattle Youth Garden Works •Lettuce Link •Seattle Tilth

7

Where Seattle Urban Ag.Comes Together:

The Case of Marra Farm•Four-acre organic farm located in South Seattle

•Surrounded by industrial production and shipping

•Cultivated since early 1900s

•Four Gardens:

•Lettuce Link Giving Garden

•Seattle Youth Garden Works

•Mien Community Garden

•P-Patch Garden

•Recently transitioned into a City of Seattle Park

8

Diversity and Food Sovereignty at Marra Farm

•History of Immigrant Gardeners and Farmers at Marra Farm

•Cultivation of Culturally Significant Plants

9

Politics, Power, and Ownership at Marra Farm

•Relationship Between the City of Seattle and Marra Farm in transition as the farm becomes a City Park

•Marra Farm Coalition currently managing the farm

10

Environmental and Social Justice at Marra Farm

•Local Food Insecurity- especially in terms of fresh produce

•Youth employment and garden-based education