COMPTON, Calif. – A community-wide effort is underway to save the beloved Compton Community Garden.
On April 1st, 2023 we arrived to Compton Community Garden to find a *massive* “For Sale” sign overshadowing our thriving & community-run green space.
We were devastated; after making some calls, we realized how very real this was. Our beloved garden – a free & truly communal urban garden feeding free food to the people of Compton for over a decade – was for sale, without warning or consideration to the humans serving this nor the communities, ecosystems & lives this would impact right here in Compton/North Long Beach.
Even worse, we found out that there is currently an open offer on the land from an outside developer for $488,000 – we MUST raise enough to cover the sale of the land plus any taxes and expenses.
We have until TUESDAY to submit our counter offer and acquire the land that our community – and the native people before us – have so deeply nourished & received nourishment from.
Community gardens mean nothing if we don’t own the land that we are cultivating our foods & communities upon. We must own & operate our communities from within – only through finding a path to community land ownership can we achieve true sovereignty within our neighborhoods in Compton, South Central, Watts and beyond.
We are tired of outside developers dictating our own neighborhoods, businesses, food systems, and social structures.
This is an opportunity to take back what is rightfully ours – and express to the world that WE will stand and fight as one until we find a sustainable solution for safe green spaces like CCG to exist, feed, and cultivate diverse communities.
This communal urban garden has been feeding free food to the Compton community for over a decade, and is now for sale. The fundraiser organizers are hoping to raise enough money to cover the sale of the land, in addition to taxes and other expenses.
The campaign is seeking to raise $600,000. To contribute click here.