It's Tomato Time!

For those of us who live in southern California, most tomato planting begins in mid-to-late March depending on nighttime temperatures. This means now is the time to plant and luckily for us, there are plenty of places to get a wide variety of yummy heirloom tomato seedlings.

Here are a couple of great events to get you started:

• Friday, March 26 through Sunday, March 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. TomatoMania! at Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino. This is one of the biggest tomato events in the area, with almost 300 tomato varieties!
• Wednesday, March 31 through Saturday, April 3, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Long Beach City College Horticulture Club Plant Sale will feature 4,000 tomato plants for sale. All proceeds benefit the horticulture program.

If you can't make one of these events, why not buy from a local urban farmer? Laurel Garza is owner of Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants in Lomita, Laurel grows and sells over 130 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from her own urban southern California farm. She not only sells year round to online customers, but has on-site plant sales as well. Check out her site for a list of upcoming sales or to schedule an appointment to pick up your plants.

Help Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative

Well, it is hard for me to believe that it's been a whole month since I last posted on my blog! Things have been so busy but I wanted to make sure I got a post up about a great new project that my wonderful Master Garden Program (UC Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County) is launching.

This is the Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative, which is part of UC Cooperative Extension's LA County Common Ground Garden Program.

Click here for a description from UC Cooperative Extension's LA County's own fabulous director Rachel Surls about this exciting new effort, http://ucanr.org/blogs/GrowLA/.

As she says, UC Master Gardener volunteers and community partners are offering a low-cost, four-session class, held at 10 locations around Los Angeles County, to teach new gardeners the basics of successful vegetable gardening. These "Victory Garden Circles" will provide not only basic lessons, but also a way to stay in touch with fellow gardeners, ask questions, and share produce.

Groups are gearing up to start in late March and early April. Participants who complete all four classes will become UC Certified Victory Gardeners. A google map shows the locations and contact information for each site.

They are hoping to start ten more sites in the fall, and LA Farm Girl is looking for a site to do this in her area, the South Bay, ideally, we need both indoor and outdoor access in case of rain or extreme heat.

You can follow all of the excitement on the blog http://ucanr.org/blogs/GrowLA/ or at the Initiative's web site http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Grow_LA_Victory_Garden_Initiative.htm

A People's Garden

Well, since Care2.com has asked that I not use the same posting for my own blog as the ones I write for them, LA Farm Girl is starting off the week rather lazily and simply putting a link to this week's post here http://www.care2.com/greenliving/help-start-a-peoples-garden-in-your-community.html for your reading pleasure.

It's about the USDA's People's Garden Initiative, encouraging us all to plant gardens in our local communities. A great idea! And, nothing precludes me from posting a photo of one of our great local community gardens, Torrance's Columbia Park Community Garden.

Spread Some V-Day Farm Love

Since this weekend is Valentine's Day and since LA Farm Girl has never been one who believes in celebrating an artificially created day to celebrate love, I have been on the hunt for alternative ways to spend the day all centering around my one true love, our urban farms and gardens.

And, fortunately I have found some and thought I'd share them with you.

First on my list, "Love Pick" a great event organized by that awesome group Food Forward, http://www.foodforward.org/ those wonderful folks who go on organized fruit picks and collect it for those in need. As they say, "Calling all who are in love or looking for love (singles, couples and lovebirds welcome)--come find love in the orange grove."

Here's the details:
Date: Sunday, February 14
Where: Franklin Canyon Orange Grove (off Coldwater Canyon)
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m.
Spots Available: 40
To Reserve a spot, RSVP to Carl@foodforward.org

Number two on my list and something completely different is a look back at the history of farms and farming here in So Cal. through a visit to Rancho Santa Anita known today as the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia http://www.arboretum.org/.

On V.D., you can take the Curator's Tour of the Historic section of the garden and learn all about the history of Rancho Santa Anita, from when it was a citrus growing ranch, a cattle ranch and hear how it became the world class botanic garden it is now.

Date: Sunday, February 14
Time: 10:30 a.m. to Noon

While there, you can also check out the exhibit on display also related to the history of the garden when it was a ranch. Time & Land: Artifacts from the Arboretum's Collection. See art, tools, archaeological artifacts, documents, photographs and more that tell the story of the Arboretum and Rancho Santa Anita.

Exhibit Dates: Now through April 2

Times: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday

Free with garden admission of $8

And, if you do go to the Arboretum on Sunday, you can also check out the Mushroom Fair, http://www.lamushrooms.org/fair-2010.html.

Plant the Perimeter Fruit Tree Giveaway

Tree People and LACMA Present:

Plant the Perimeter Fruit Tree Giveaway
Sun, Feb 7, 12 noon - Los Angeles County Museum of Art, BP Grand Entrance, 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles

Artist collective Fallen Fruit http://www.fallenfruit.org/index.php/news/ kicks off a yearlong project, EATLACMA, with a fruit tree giveaway.

Come pick up a free fruit tree along with planting instructions for your garden. This is the first in a series of events, which will include an exhibition, opening in June, and a series of food-related events throughout the year.

EATLACMA is a year-long investigation into food, art, culture and politics. EATLACMA's projects consider food as a common ground that explores the social role of art and ritual in community and human relationships.

EATLACMA unfolds seasonally, with artist's gardens planted and harvested on the museum campus, hands-on public events, and a concurrent exhibition, Fallen Fruit Presents The Fruit of LACMA (June 27-November 7, 2010).

Image courtesy of Fallen Fruit

City Labs Community Service Fair

Just a quick post to let you know about an event this weekend that will let you help LA's community organizations by getting involved in community service! City Labs Community Service Fair http://city-labs.org/event-info/ is presenting this one-day fair to browse, discover and connect with 50 local non-profits — organizations doing great things who need your support to maintain sustainability.

Some of LA Farm Girl's favorite food and garden (and green) organizations are participating and need your help including:
LA Guerrilla Gardening http://laguerrillagardening.org/
Food Forward http://www.foodforward.org/
South Central Farmers' Health and Ed. Fund http://www.southcentralfarmers.com/ Tree People http://www.treepeople.org/

Date: Saturday, January 23rd 2010
Hours: 11 am – 4 pm
Location: California Market Center’s Penthouse (110 East Ninth St. in downtown LA)
Donation at Door: $5 per person (includes entry, a free drink, and DIY workshops)

Free Workshops including Lazy Person’s Guide to Going Green w/YourDailyThread ‘Craft for a Cause’ area presented by Causecast :: pack and assemble food boxes for the city’s hungry.

There will be a lounge and even live music and raffle contests all day long including amazing prizes from Chronicle Books, local UNIQUELA designers and more!

Parking Information: The Parking Garage is located underneath the building, with parking entrances on Main Street and Los Angeles Street. There are also plenty of above-ground lots and a fair amount of street parking near the venue.

Only One Week Left to Apply For Master Gardener Program

I just wanted to let everybody know that January 15, 2010, is your last chance to request an application for the Los Angeles County 2010 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program, http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Master_Gardener_Volunteer_Training_Program.htm

To get an application, Email Yvonne Savio, ydsavio@ucdavis.edu and let her know which elist(s) you're interested in: 1. Community Gardening and Food Security and/or 2. School Gardening.

Criteria: lots of prior community volunteering, passion for helping low-income residents.

Apply and join me, LA Farm Girl as a UC Master Gardener! It's great fun and so rewarding, plus you meet the nicest people doing something you love. What could be better?