Ron Finley is a man who will not sit still and watch a problem take root. Having grown up in a South Los Angeles food desert, Ron is familiar with the area’s lack of fresh produce. He knew what it’s like to drive 45 minutes just to get a fresh tomato.
"The depression of 2008 hit my business really, really bad," explains Finley. "I went to a grocery store in my neighborhood and I'll never forget -- I picked up a tomato and it said 'May be coated with shellac.' Shellac? That's the stuff we would put on wood in woodshop."
But when he went into other nicer neighborhoods, that wasn't the case. They had clean, fresh vegetables. It was then that he saw that in Black and Brown neighborhoods, this limited access to healthy food was by design.
The parkwayway portion of the sidewalk is public area, it's between the street and sidewalk. The homeowner but for years it was left vacant or with trash, broken down toilets, etc. So when Finley decided to make it a garden, he was given a citation -- a ticket?!
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"You didn't give a sh-- when it had trash and toilets on it, but as soon as I tried to beautify it, there was a warrant for my arrest? I figured it was time for this to change.
So Ron, along with a city councilman, fought the government in order to change the law. And it worked! Now the law states that you don't need a permit to create your own garden. Awesome!
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"Gardening. Growing your own food. That's gangster."
"Being educated. That's gangster."
"Building a community. That's gangster," Ron says proudly.
Now the whole community is involved. Ron is teaching others how to grow their own food, share resources and...
...truly build a community that grows together.
In Finley's garden there are tangerines, pomegranates, all kinds of lettuce, sweet potatoes, squash, herbs and more.
His organization, the Ron Finley Project was created to address what Finley saw as a big problem in his community: people were disconnected from food, and they lacked inspiration to build a better life. He wanted to change how people living in inner cities think about and approach building a better life, starting with the food they eat.
"You can design the life you want to live, rather than the life that's been designed for you."
Currently, RFP is fighting for their headquarters; the very same location that ignited a good food revolution when...
... Finley took back city land and planted the seeds to cultivate happy and healthy communities. After numerous attempts by the property owner for a loan modification with no avail, the land was sold to Strategic Acquisitions Inc in a foreclosure.
RFP has requested that Strategic Acquisitions allow them to continue operating from the location as to sustain the important work they are doing in the community. The only solution they have been offered is to purchase the property for $500,000. Otherwise, they face eviction.
Finley took on city lawmakers in 2010 sparking a worldwide food justice revolution and he's looking to do it again with saving his garden and those like it. A GoFundMe page has been created for him to raise the funds for it. You can donate here.
