Rachel Surls - County Director at UC Cooperative Extension

County Director at UC Cooperative Extension, Rachel Surls is fascinated by the complexities and contradictions of Los Angeles' agricultural and planning history. According to Surls, the fact that Richland Farms has been able to retain its agricultural roots amidst Compton's vast industrial development shows a deep degree of attachment to the land and the need to provide green open spaces in working-class areas such as Compton. Surls hopes that her studies and proposals can help reintegrate the practice of urban agriculture in communities such as Richland Farms and provide working "pilot" models for other communities across the county and through the state.

An Overview of Agriculture in SoCal
"Until the 1950's L.A. County was the top agricultural county in the US... This was it. We grew everything here."

About Richland Farms
Though the largest urban county, conditions in Los Angeles are ideal for growing crops.

Agri-Business in L.A.
Farming in Los Angeles thrived because of the kind of "built-in marketplace".

Farming During the Depression & Beyond
"Food is important because we eat"