Crop Swap LA

We will select 15 homes on a residential street to install professional gardens and rainwater harvesting systems on their front yards, back yards, and available rooftops. We will train and hire a green team of gardeners to become a fleet of hyper-localized specialists, rotated between gardening trades, and paired in groups to learn from each other. For their participation, residents would receive a crop share as a part of the arrangement. This will serve as a model for creating jobs, food and a resilient society.

Crop Swap LA will host free, half-day workshops at 12 LA County Parks in District 2, teaching residents how to grow food at home, no matter their space. Each event includes a walking tour led by local farmers highlighting native plants and unique park features, encouraging deeper connection to public green spaces. By combining hands-on learning with park exploration, the program will inspire more frequent and meaningful use of local outdoor areas.

Crop Swap LA will repurpose a food truck to become a mobile plant nursery, a "South LA Seedling Shuttle". This project will support Los Angeles’ urban farming and home gardening communities by providing organic and culturally important vegetable seedlings that reflect the region's unique agricultural history. This effort will expand food sovereignty in our underserved communities, which often lack access to basic growing necessities, while helping build a more sustainable, water-conserving, and diverse food system in our City.