The Seedstock 'Future of Food - Urban Ag Field Trip'

DESCRIPTION

Urban agriculture ventures of all different stripes - from commercial hydroponic enterprises and rooftop aeroponic farms to community gardens planted atop formerly vacant lots - are not only disrupting the food system, but also generating community and economic capital. 

To give you an up close and personal look at a series of innovative urban farming operations that have emerged to tackle challenges to food access, meet marketplace demand for local food, and increase food security, Seedstock, a social venture that seeks to foster the development of sustainable local food systems, has put together the 'Future of Food - Urban Ag Field Trip'.

Slated for Friday, January 27, 2017, the field trip will look at the impact of urban farming in Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, and include lectures on such topics as the past, present, and future of urban agriculture, vertical farming, and sourcing local food from urban farms.

Spots on the 'Future of Food - Urban Ag Field Trip' are limited, and it will sell out. So grab your tickets before it's too late!

Scheduled Field Trips Stops include:

• The USC Teaching Garden is utilizing aeroponics to challenge the food systems status quo on campus. The University of Southern California (USC) Teaching Garden was established this spring to supply fresh produce to the university’s on-campus restaurants, dining halls, catering services, and hotel, while also teaching students and staff about flavor and sustainability. The garden utilizes aeroponic towers to produce chemical-free fruit, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers without traditional soil growing media.

• Local Roots Farms is an indoor vertical farming company based in Los Angeles that designs, builds, deploys, and operates controlled environment farms. Situated in shipping containers, the farms (called TerraFarms) grow with up to 99% less water, 365 days a year, pesticide and herbicide free, and with absolute consistency in production. Their plug and play form provides an innovative solution to the retail and foodservice sectors by greatly reducing supply-chain risks such as price volatility and food safety exposure.

• The Growing Experience is a seven-acre urban farm in North Long Beach that is located on a previously vacant lot. The Growing Experience urban farm is unique in that it is owned and operated by the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA), which manages 3,229 units of public and other affordable housing for the county’s Public Housing program. “The North Long Beach community has been historically under-served and classified as a food desert,” says Holly Carpenter, program manager with the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles. “The Growing Experience was designed to help meet the needs of the community by increas[ing] access to healthy foods.”

Confirmed Speakers include:

• Rachel Surls - Sustainable Food Systems Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension and co-author of the book 'From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles'. From the book jacket: "From the earliest pueblo cornfields to the struggles of farm workers to the rise of the environmental movement, From Cows to Concrete tells the epic tale of how agriculture forged Los Angeles into an urban metropolis, and how, ultimately, the Los Angeles farm empire spurred the very growth that paved it over, as sprawling suburbs swallowed up thousands of acres of prime farmland. More than 150 vintage images enhance and expand the fascinating, detailed history" An option to purchase the hardcover book at discount is available for purchase with your ticket for the field trip. 

• Erik Oberholtzer - Co-founder and CEO of Tender Greens

• Chef Eric Ernest - Executive Chef of USC Hospitality

A farm-to-fork lunch hosted by Local Roots Farms featuring lettuce grown on site in the company's TerraFarms will be provided by sponsor:

Ticket Refund Policy: Please note that we do not offer refunds on tickets, but you are welcome to transfer your ticket to a friend or colleague at any time up until 2 days before the event. To do so, please email us at admin@seedstock.com and include your name, order number and the name of the person to whom you would like to transfer your ticket.

TAGS

Things To Do In Los Angeles, CA Tour Community