Farmer’s Market at Compound

Food insecurity and access to basic needs

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The issue we are seeking to address is food insecurity and basic access to fresh, quality, and healthful sources of nutrition. We are located in the Zaferia neighborhood of Long Beach, designated by the USDA as a food desert. While there are several convenience and liquor stores in the local region, as well as a Food 4 Less, there is no place to purchase fresh, quality produce within the neighborhood.
There are 37,953 Zaferia residents living in an area of about 2.5 square miles with a median household income of $61,495 (US Census). The neighborhood is culturally vibrant with 38% Latine, 26% White, 19% Asian, 11% Black, 1% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 1% Other. The nearest farmer’s market is over a mile away, operates on a weekday afternoon when many Zaferia neighborhood parents are working, and sells produce that is geared toward its neighborhood’s mostly white residents. Our Farmer’s Market will offer fresh produce that is culturally relevant to our diverse Zaferia community.

The Farmer’s Market at Compound will provide the Zaferia neighborhood with access to fresh, affordable, local, and culturally appropriate produce. It will take place two weekends per month on a 6,800 square foot blocked street that is adjacent to the Compound campus. The Farmer’s Market will accept SNAP benefits to ensure that families in need can access this vital community resource. While the Farmer’s Market has been part of our mission from our founding in 2020, it has not yet been implemented.
To ensure that the Farmer's Market serves the needs of our community members in a comfortable and culturally responsive way, we have been in discussions with a local professional Farmer’s Market Program Director to collaboratively run the event, coordinate with farmers and vendors, hire artistic talent for entertainment, and obtain city permits.
To further bring our unique blend of wellness and culture to the community, we will open our exhibition and gallery spaces during the Farmer’s Market so that visitors can have their humanistic needs met by experiencing art at the same time that their physical needs are met by obtaining fresh food for their families. We will also open part of our complex for people to experience activities for children, live music and other performances.

We envision Compound as an accessible space where the community can gather on a regular basis to celebrate the unique cultures of the Zaferia neighborhood through food and art.
The Farmer’s Market at Compound will change Los Angeles County because it will not only provide an under-resourced community with access to affordable and high-quality produce, but it will also bring community members together to nourish their hearts and souls through the arts.

To define and measure success of the Farmer’s Market at Compound, we will use Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to set specific benchmarks for the Farmer’s Markets. The use of KPI will give us quantitative data, such as estimating the number of people visiting a given Farmer’s Market, that we can accurately track over time to give us a clear picture of how well the program is suiting the needs of the community, and whether adjustments need to be made to make the program more effective. If necessary, we will adapt our current methodology to fit changing conditions.
We also administer brief in-person evaluations in the three dominant languages of the Zaferia neighborhood: Spanish, Khmer, and English.