Timbuktu Resource Center and Learning Academy Program Plan and Summary The Timbuktu Resource Center and Learning Academy (TRC) has developed and run an urban farming and nutrition program in South Los Angeles for the past 11 years. Under the direction of Certified Master Gardener Reginald Fagan, we are now implementing an innovative community food system plan to bring food security to the same community. Residents in urban low-income communities often lack access to fresh produce and nutrition education. And, while there are several programs addressing the issue on a large scale in other states and cities, ours has been the first to initiate a comprehensive effort in South Los Angeles. Who we are Our goal at TRC is straightforward: improve the community through food security. Mr. Fagan, who was born and raised in the area and farmed there for over 40 years, has implemented several projects to meet that goal. In addition to conducting an extensive clean up of the 26 year old community garden at Nickerson Gardens public housing development, TRC is completing various projects in the nearby cities of Carson and Compton. In particular, Mr. Fagan has taught for two years at Cal State University Dominguez Hills in its OLLI program and managed the University Greenhouse there. He is currently developing a campus-wide compost program and organizing agriculture and conservation students to volunteer on agriculture projects. He also served as an advisor for an urban agriculture documentary airing on PBS. As Ex Officio member of Carson’s History Commission, Ex-Officio member of Carson Environmental Commission, member of the Carson Organic Community Garden Committee, and Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Conservation Education Specialist appointee, Mr. Fagan is advancing the overall goals of TRC to promote local food security. In Compton he serves on the city’s nascent agriculture advisory board, and the Compton Creek Watershed Alliance while also developing gardens at Compton and Centennial High Schools and Kennedy, Laurel Street, Washington and Foster Elementary Schools. Importantly, his work has included conflict resolution between ethnic groups – repairing, planting and building seeds of trust, a curriculum for kids’ gardening, and environmental education and nutrition programs. Currently, there are eight volunteers who assist with the programs and maintenance at the greenhouse and garden sites. Several volunteers rotate from Reginald Fagan’s gardening classes at CSUDH, while others live in the Nickerson Gardens housing development. In the past year, Mr. Fagan has also secured donations of plants, seeds, compost and other planting materials. He maintains resource materials in over 300 square feet, which include books, catalogs, videos, and instructional aids about gardening, farming, construction, fishing, watershed preservation, and conflict resolution, among other topics. Where we are going Our ongoing goal is to increase residents’ access to healthy food. To do so, we must grow not only our gardens, but our organization as well. The immediate work will be to expand city school garden programs, CSUDH service learning, Richland Farms collaboration and the community garden at Nickerson Gardens. School garden expansion programs are proposed at Steven White Schools Middle in Carson, and Peary Middle in Gardena as well as Walton and Whaley Jr. High Schools, and Caldwell Elementary in Compton. Volunteers, students and local residents will conduct soil testing utilizing local labs. University students will be encouraged to obtain service learning credit in TRC programs, as well as assistance with a proposed University television program – chronicling TRC projects -- scheduled for January 2011. To increase the number of Nickerson Gardens residents receiving fresh produce, we must acquire building and maintenance tools – to build raised beds for produce, plant and cultivate and then maintain the grounds. We have developed a youth training program to achieve that work. There are also garden projects for each “class” of youth in a growing season – permanent pieces like scarecrows, painted stones, mosaics and murals will document their time at the housing and school gardens and further increasing pride. Access to healthy food also requires an understanding of the benefits of that food. So, we also want to expand and formalize our food nutrition program, which includes conducting a food survey (to determine what food is available locally) and establishing a community kitchen. We are currently seeking funding to: continue and expand our programs; purchase a lawnmower and weed whacker; provide youth training and stipends for garden maintenance; develop an urban forestry and orchard program; hold formal nutrition and gardening classes (including incorporating native plants, water conservation and horticulture therapy); and secure a building site in the community, to provide all our programs to local residents. Ultimately, the Timbuktu Resource Center and Learning Academy will provide tools to address local environmental justice and city greening efforts in the 91, 110 and 405 freeway corridors. The TRC will serve as a focal point of the community -- where residents gather to socialize and improve their neighborhood and where pride in the garden marks the beginning of pride in the community. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20101025/f91c46c4/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
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