Today Americans hold California’s Central Valley in their minds as the center of our country’s fruit and vegetable production.
But until the 1950s, Los Angeles County was the agricultural capital of North America.
A new book, "From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles," begins with Gabrieleños cultivating wild seeds, traces the roots of the state’s citrus and wine industries to the fields of Mission San Gabriel Archangel in the 19th century, and details the post-war urban development that pushed farmland out of the city. But that doesn’t mean we’re not a city that loves fresh food.
As more Americans are connecting with food in their gardens or local farmer’s markets, the vibrant archival photos and research remind us that the pastoral Californian ideal has not completely disappeared from LA.
Co-authors Rachel Surls and Judith Gerber will be signing copies of their book, “From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles,” on June 14, at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena at 7:00 p.m. Click here for more information.
Guests:
Rachel Surls Ph.D, co-author of the book, “From Cows to Concrete,” (Angel City Press, 2016) and Sustainable Food Systems Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension in LA County
Judith Gerber, co-author of the book, “From Cows to Concrete,” (Angel City Press, 2016), and a farmer who has covered food production in Los Angeles for more than 20 years; she tweets from