In South Los Angeles, just a few blocks away from the famous Obama and Crenshaw Boulevards, an urban garden is transforming the Leimert Park neighborhood.
On a plot of just over 2,000 square feet, stands a micro-farm designed by Jamiah Hargins, the founder of the non-profit project Crop Swap LA. The garden features multi-level planters and is filled with a variety of vegetables, from basil and sweet potatoes to kale and eggplants. This is a true “green laboratory,” where the plants are watered using an innovative irrigation system that consumes just 2% of the water required for a typical lawn.
Hargins’ garden is not only a model of food self-sufficiency but also a source of organic produce that has grown through a network of three additional micro-farms, now providing fresh produce weekly to about 80 families, many of whom face food insecurity. The project has a waiting list of over 300 people interested in converting their own green spaces, although the idea came about by chance in 2018 when the former finance professional began cultivating his land for his own family.
Through dedication and self-learning, the budding farmer soon harvested more vegetables than his family needed, which he then traded with other urban gardeners. Crop Swap LA, now an established organization, was born with the mission of promoting homegrown fresh food.
Converting a garden into a micro-farm, however, comes with a substantial cost. Hargins invested around $150,000, funded through state grants, to expand the project.
Families that participate in the program sign up for a subscription to receive a bag of local, fresh produce each week. The beneficiaries include elderly residents, disabled veterans, single parents, and immigrants; about a third of them pay through the use of food stamps.
The project expanded in 2020 through a partnership with Mychal Creer, a former teacher who decided to replace his grass lawn with a vegetable garden. With the help of a $50,000 grant, Creer and Hargins transformed the space into an eco-friendly farm capable of hosting up to 2,000 plants.
In recent years, Crop Swap LA has garnered increasing interest among Los Angeles residents, with support from volunteers and community members. Each week, young volunteers help with harvesting and maintenance, further spreading the vision of its founder for accessible, sustainable urban agriculture.
