Bringing Natural Food to South LA

“If kids grow kale, kids eat kale. If they grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes. But when none of this is presented to them, if they’re not shown how food affects the mind and the body, they blindly eat whatever you put in front of them.” — Ron Finley

The team at m.a.m.a. earth has been championing local food and food justice since the beginning of our organization in 2007. We focus on art, music and NATURE and a big part of that includes the food we eat and our relationship to our environment. m.a.m.a. earth has facilitated countless Grow Where You Are! urban gardening classes at nursery, elementary and high schools as well as prestigious colleges and universities – we’ve been planting gardens, teaching folks how to grow their own fruits and vegetables and reminding people about the ways they can improve their lifestyle and health with more time spent in nature.

Because m.a.m.a. earth is based in Los Angeles, we can’t help but get inspired when we see the amazing work coming out of South Los Angeles where food deserts are manifested in the typical manner: mainstream grocery stores are rare, and when they are present, the quality of the food is poor and the prices high. This community is home to roughly 800,000 people, and spans 60 square miles depending on how the boundaries are drawn yet each one is overrun with liquor stores and other small “convenience” stores. Few of these stores sell fresh food at all; if they do have fresh items, the selection is limited and the items are overpriced and inferior. Liquor is the dominant product in most of the stores, creating another set of public health concerns related to substance abuse and addiction. Compounding the lack of healthy food in South Los Angeles is the saturation of unhealthy food in every part of the community. South L.A is crowded with fast food. Unhealthy food choices dominate the landscape – they are cheap and easily available, as is liquor. On the other hand, healthy food is hard to find, substandard and expensive. Residents of South L.A are paying for bad food policy with their health.

Bahni Turpin, founder of SoLA Food Coop, pictured here on the cover of Yoga Journal

We have been watching the seed of healthy food grow from people like Ron Finley and SoLA Food Coop, founded by Bahni Turpin. SoLA Food Coop is working to provide South Los Angeles, and neighboring communities, access to fresh, economical, organic and gourmet foods. It aims to empower the community through shared ownership, improved health,  education and social engagement by practicing sustainability, Fair Trade, fair labor, and support of local agriculture.

Get involved and support their upcoming Organic Food and Music Festival on Sunday, August 25th at Club Fais Do Do. The day will feature live music, children’s activities, good food, cooking demos and much more! Proceeds from the event will help SoLA bring a high quality, community-owed, natural foods grocery store to the South LA area.

You don’t need to be in Los Angeles to support this fantastic project – click HERE to donate. Help Start the FOOD EVOLUTION and make a donation today! 100% of any contribution will go directly into the startup costs of the Co-op. Thanks!

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