Started in 1996 as a training program focusing on landscaping for residents of the Carmelitos Housing Community, The Growing Experience, still provides training in "green" jobs. Several local youth will be working at the site this summer through the Summer Jobs for Youth program.
The Growing Experience has become a full scale urban farm, producing fresh fruits and vegetables. Originally, the locally grown produce was sold only to Carmelitos residents through an onsite farmers market. As farm production increased, The Growing Experience began working with BeachGreens, a company specializing in home delivery of fresh produce, and several local restaurants including McKenna's on the Bay. Fresh, locally grown produce is now available to the broader community through subscription.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is what the name implies...folks who appreciate the benefits of eating farm fresh fruits and vegetables (without having to maintain a garden themselves) pay a small monthly subscription to receive a box of fresh produce from the urban farm either once or twice a month. Supplied with the subscription box is information about the nutritional values of the included produce and recipes on ways to prepare some of the items. Recent recipes included the preparation of beets and beet greens.
Recent contents of small subscription box.
Jimmy Ng assembling subscription boxes for distribution.
According to Project Manager Ng, the CSA is currently fully subscribed and serves 48 households per month. For further information or to be placed on a waiting list, contact Jimmy Ng via email or by phone at 562-984-2917.
Additional information about The Growing Experience can be found in a recent story at Every Thing Long Beach.
