A Feasibility Study for Urban Edge Agricultural Parks - SAGE

variety of cool season crops. Domitila has been extremely determined in openingmarketing outlets to local supermarkets. She has been successful in maintainingan unusual relationship directly with an individual Whole Foods Market, while mostpurchasing for the company now takes place through a centralized purchasing anddistribution system. She has been able to do this by offering a diversity of highquality, in-season crops demanded by local consumers.Martín Pérez is a native of Mexico. He graduated from the PEPA program in 2003.During his first year in ALBA’s farm incubator program, Martín experimented withmore than 30 crops. With this diversity, he was able to establish his own CSA,servicing family and friends with a box of fresh produce on a weekly basis, allproduced on only ½ acre. Martín is a schoolteacher by day, but is determined tohave farming be a part of his life. Martín and his experience has been an extremelypowerful tool in showing other students and participants what is possible with suchlittle time and land. Planning and prioritization are two of the most important tools,which Martín has used to his advantage to be able to produce so much, with solittle.While most of this discussion has focused on regional trends, there is certainly agrowing significance of immigrant farmers at the national level. This growthprompted the formation of the National Immigrant Farming Initiative, an initiativeof Heifer Project International and other partners, which strengthens the capacity ofimmigrants to farm successfully. ALBA is just one of a growing number ofImmigrant Farming Projects around the country that are providing support to thisincreasingly important farmer demographic group that is adding vitality to theagricultural sector. In the Central Coast region of California, land access is a majorbarrier to immigrant farmer start-ups and success, as is the case in other parts ofthe country.DRAFT 1.6.05 22