Explore the History of Los Angeles’ Agriculture In New Multi-Platform Food Series LA FOODWAYS Premiering Feb 6 on KCET
CONTACT
Nichole Goodman
ngoodman@kcet.org
747.201.5202
Presenting Surprising Solutions to Current Challenges,
New KCET Original Documentary Showcases How Food Is at the Intersection of History
Streaming on kcet.org/lafoodways
Also available on YouTube, Amazon, Roku and Apple TV.
Burbank, Calif. – Jan. 8, 2019 – KCET, a content channel of the newly formed PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, announced today the new multi-platform documentary series LA FOODWAYS which examines the history of food in Los Angeles. The series – comprised of a one-hour documentary, six digital episodes and digital editorial stories – looks at the storied agricultural history of Los Angeles to understand present food waste challenges and opportunities to bring fresh foods to urban communities. LA FOODWAYS airs February 6 at 8 p.m. on KCET in Southern California, and the six digital episodes can be streamed on kcet.org/lafoodways.
From the importance of orange crops in the 19th century to the massive scale of food waste in the U.S., the series is a deep dive into the different manners in which local organizations are coming together to ensure the future of agriculture in the region in order to identify environmentally friendly solutions for the future.
Food Forward and five of the local food organizations featured in the series will co-host a premiere screening of the hour-long film at the Arhya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, followed by a panel discussion on Jan. 30. Panelists include Tim Alderson (Seeds of Hope and Solutions for Urban Agriculture), Clare Fox (Los Angeles Food Policy Council), Rick Nahmias (Food Forward), A.G. Kawamura (Former Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture), Rachel Surls (UC Master Gardeners of Los Angeles County) and Tim Watkins (Watts Labor Community Action Committee). Food advocate and actor/writer/producer Lakisha May will moderate the conversation. Tickets are available now via the Laemmle website at www.laemmle.com for $15, with all proceeds supporting the partner organizations whose work is depicted in the film.
The digital episodes are detailed as follows:
Episode 1: “From Farm to Freeway”
Los Angeles was once the largest farming community in the US. It is now home to the largest population of people dealing with food scarcity and hunger. Through interviews with historians, a 94-year-old farmer and a first-person narrative from a fifth-generation farming family in Lakewood, the episode goes back in time to reimagine the landscape of Los Angeles.
Episode 2: “King Citrus and the Selling of the California Dream”
The citrus industry started in Los Angeles in the 1870s and by 1900 it become one of the largest industries in the state. With images of manicured trees filled with golden fruit, snow-capped mountains and a better life, along with its year-round magical climate, the selling of the “California Dream” went a long way toward altering the landscape from farms, to city, to meet an ever-expanding population that occurred directly after World War II.
Episode 3: “The Paving of Paradise”
After World War II, developers came into what was the biggest farm town in the nation and forever changed it. This created new issues, as people and vegetables competed for space. As the population grew, what was ultimately most attractive to new residents was real estate and "the selling of front lawn” resulting in much of the farmland now covered over by concrete used to make way for housing and industrial interests.
Episode 4: “Food Waste: The Facts of Life”
The Central Wholesale Produce Market: Founded in 1898”
A century old Los Angeles institution, the Whole Produce Market, was created to help the farmers get their produce to market and still thrives today. Today, the market responds to the food crisis by contributing food that would otherwise be thrown into landfill.
Episode 5: “Watts Action”
At a 52-year old community center called the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), stories from early residents reveal what Watts was like when it was all farmland. The episode explores the founding of the organization though the efforts of an extraordinary man named Ted Watkins and the legacy his son carries on based on his father’s vision to offer healthy food choices for the many residents through an agricultural center and farm that would feed the community.
Episode 6: “Los Angeles, Garden Paradise”
Various efforts at urban homesteading across the city are being attempted to solve the food crisis. Rick Nahmias, founder of Food Forward, explains how he was inspired to create a program that makes food available for those who are hungry using trees from an agricultural past, which informs the present and seeds future possibility. The city’s agricultural past is being galvanized today to feed the millions of hungry people who live in the community. Though the challenges are many, the future depends on an understanding of the past and affects decisions made going forward.
Filmmaker Raphael Sbarge is the executive producer for LA FOODWAYS. Sbarge is an actor (Once Upon a Time, Murder in the First), producer and founder of Green Wish, a grassroots nonprofit that helps other local nonprofit green organizations fund projects for their communities. Sbarge has been a sponsor, supporter and presenter for both of KCET’s previous Earth Focus Environmental Film Festivals held in April. Sbarge has also produced and directed the documentary A CONCRETE RIVER: REVIVING THE WATERS OF LOS ANGELES, which chronicles the importance of the Los Angeles River culturally, economically and ecologically. The special aired on KCET in May of 2017.
Join the conversation on social media using #LAFoodways
ABOUT KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 54-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. Select original programming from KCET is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon and Roku platforms. For more information please visit http://www.kcet.org/apps. KCET is a content channel of the Public Media Group of Southern California.
ABOUT PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA tells stories that matter. We create original programs that reflect the diversity of the region and share the full schedule of PBS programs that viewers love and trust – delivering a public media service that educates, informs and empowers. Through three content channels – PBS SoCal, KCET and LINK TV – our library of programs is available for streaming on any internet-connected screen, seven Southern California broadcast channels, and one national satellite channel. A donor-supported community institution, PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA hosts hundreds of in-person cultural events, screenings and community conversations to spark the sharing of diverse ideas and perspectives and delivers real social impact through an Early Learning service that prepares our most vulnerable children for school, as well as other special public service initiatives. Find us at pbssocal.org, kcet.org and linktv.org.
