Local Farms, Local Teams: WCK’s Work to Restore Access to Fresh Produce in LA
From the first hours of the California wildfires, World Central Kitchen has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with families and first responders on the front lines. To promote recovery from a disaster as vast as the Los Angeles wildfires, though, you need a clear vision of the various communities impacted, including those you might not expect.
Nestled near the Pacific Ocean, Sunrise Organic Farm in Santa Barbara, CA grows fresh produce that it sells to residents at Los Angeles farmers markets every week. When the wildfires hit LA, many of their customers were displaced, and a number of farmers markets and restaurants shut down. The farm lost its marketplace, and their customers lost their access to food.
The WCK team is taking action to rebuild the connection between farmers and the community they serve. “By supporting the farmers markets, we’re able to bring that money back into the local economy,” said Trish Engel of WCK. In practice, we make bulk purchases of farmers’ produce and then distribute that fresh food to local residents at no-cost, through farmers markets in Topanga Canyon, Malibu, Santa Monica, Altadena, and Pasadena. This way, farmers regain income and families regain a beloved source of produce.
“The people losing their homes, I feel really sad. Everybody who comes to shop at the farmers market – we consider them good friends,” said Jesus Salas, founder and head farmer of Sunrise Organic Farm.
Our team visited this family-run farm to see the care they put in to grow their lettuce, spinach, carrots, snap peas, squash, tomatoes, kale, and herbs.
In teaming up with local farmers to provide for the community, WCK is helping to plant the seeds of renewal for Southern California.
“It’s a really beautiful thing that WCK’s doing here,” said Sam Watkins of Sunrise Organic Farm. “What they’re doing really helps people at a multitude of levels. It helps the local farms like us, and we get food to the people who need it most right now.”
Support our efforts in California
