This misty morning in LA was the first time I put on my forager hat since Hawaii. I turned the corner and found that a bunch of oranges had fallen on the street. I looked up and lo and behold, a citrus tree rose above me. Dressed in my cycling kit, I pulled over and examined the oranges on the ground. None were edible. For a moment I thought about getting my climbing shoes from the car, scaling this person's concrete barrier of a fence and climbing the tree. My imagination ran wild with sounds of sirens and a ticket in my hand for trespassing. I opted not to get the climbing shoes. I desperately grabbed hold of the tree branches and started shaking. Not an orange would budge. Covered in leaves and tree bark debris, I walked away from the tree Loveless and orangeless--oh well.
I was supposed to stay in Los Angeles for 3 days, already what my friend said was "one day too many." Here I am 8 days later and still trying to talk myself into leaving. The City of Angels has taken me by surprise with the wonderful people I have met, the amazing bike culture and food scene. I was convinced that living here meant you had to drive your car everywhere and eat food that is shipped from every far away place you can imagine--not so. That is probably the case for the majority of people but this city shows promise for a new way.
Jamie Oliver is, admittedly, a guilty online TV watching pleasure of mine. This season he is working his way into the Los Angeles Unified School Disctrict(LAUSD)with a desperate effort to change the foods that kids eat. So far he has not seen a whole lot of success. However, when I picked up the most recent LA Weekly, I was excited to find that they have an extensive article on what public school kids are eating. His voice is being heard. Like Oliver, I see a lot of opportunity in LA to change this immense food system.
With a growing season of 365 days year and organic farms up and down the entire state, I too, am tempted to stay and work with local food economies here. And speaking of local food economies, my friend
recommended the book Plenty: Eating locally on the 100-Mile Diet.The website even has a map that lets you calculate your 100 mile radius. I haven't picked up a copy of the book yet, but with the idea in mind, I hit up the Silverlake Farmers Market last Saturday and spent two hours talking with farmers and making purchases. By the way, the Los Angeles Area has a handful of farmers markets on any given day of the week. The LA Times came up with a list that has served me well no matter where I have stayed throughout the city.
Here's what I found from 130 miles or closer--Organic Avocados, Medjool Dates, turnips, squash, sprouts, greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, mizuno greens, mustard greens, dwarf bok choy, basil and bee pollen. Okay, okay, I know it sounds like a hippie diet but this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are cheeses, and pickled goods and breads and meats to be found locally too.
The farm above is called Beylik farms. They are a semi-hydroponic operation run out of Ventura. They grow all of their produce using a coconut fiber medium, drip irrigation and liquid nutrients. Their platforms are outside under an open-air clear canopy that allows natural light to come in. During colder months they use warm water to keep the plants warmer and producing.
Pedro's Certified Organic Ranch offers hass avocados, turnips and various salad greens.
The guy above, named Cam, runs a 1/2 acre mini-farm right in the heart of LA. He calls himself "hyper-local". Cam grows his goods on slope to get maximum production. Furthermore, in order to make a living off of only 1/2 acre, he turns his produce into pickles, soups and salsas. In this picture, he is sharing a tasty morsel with one of his youngest loyal pickle lovers.
And last but not least (and also not within my hundred mile radius)is Soledad Goat Cheese. They make delicious and varied flavors of goat cheeses--my favorite of which was the lavender honey. LA is full of characters and the guy who runs the Silverlake booth is definitely one of them. I was heckled every time I walked by for not purchasing his cheese which came from just a little too far away.
