Farm Dreams (2023) s01e03 Episode Script
Backyard Crop
1
(rooster crows)
INDY: If you've ever
dreamed of owning a farm,
come with me.
PETE: Things are living and
things are growin' on a rooftop.
INDY: I'm Indy Officinalis.
I'm a farmer who loves
helping other farmers.
My passion for farming
started in my teens,
working on a homestead
in North Carolina,
and led me to
urban farming in LA.
I've worked on farms
from coast to coast,
but farming is hard work.
MAN: We've planted about
ten variety of fruit trees,
and they all died.
INDY: So, I'm traveling the
country to offer some hope.
Hi.
WOMAN: Indy.
INDY: Hey!
STEPHANIE: Oh,
my gosh, Indy.
INDY: Join me as I
transform farms on rooftops,
in backyards, warehouses.
This is insane!
And even out on the ocean.
Farm rescue on a boat ♪
INDY: On the way,
we'll get tips from
some of my
expert farmer friends.
WOMAN: This is so
awesome, I'm so excited!
INDY: Yeah.
INDY: Today, I'm
not far from home,
in California's
San Fernando Valley.
I'm meeting with the three
co-founders of a suburban farm,
to help get them
past the growing pains of
their two year old garden.
Knock, knock. Hi.
HALEY: Hi. Hello.
INDY: I'm Indy.
HALEY: Nice to meet you.
Haley. INDY: Nice to meet
HALEY: I'm so glad
that you can visit today.
INDY: I know. Hi.
MADISON: Hey.
INDY: Indy.
MADISON: Indy, I'm Maddie.
So good to meet you.
INDY: Yes, nice
to meet you. Yes.
MADISON: Welcome to
SOW Collective Backyard Farm.
And then back
here is Stephanie.
INDY: Hey.
STEPHANIE: Woo. Hi.
Hi, I'm Stephanie.
INDY: Indy.
Nice to finally meet you.
STEPHANIE: Nice to meet you.
INDY: This looks awesome.
I love this.
This is such a
cute little micro-farm.
HALEY: Yeah,
definitely our backyard farm.
Our micro-farm.
INDY: Cool. That's so neat.
STEPHANIE: We've been
wanting to really revamp this space up,
and we would love any help
that you can share with us.
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah.
You know, we're
only two years old,
so everything is
still kind of new to us,
and we've really put
things together, like, DIY,
as we go.
INDY: Mm. Mm-hmm.
MADISON: So we really
need someone to come in,
like yourself, and really
take it to the next level.
INDY: What is the
goal of this garden space?
Like, you're
feeding the community,
is that kind of what?
HALEY: Yeah, one
of the many goals.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
HALEY: Feeding people and
also just demonstrate to them that
they can do something
similar in their backyard.
We started SOW Collective
because we know that
sustainability is not
accessible to everyone,
and we wanna make it
accessible to everybody.
MADISON: So, people are
able to come to our neighborhood and
harvest themselves.
INDY: What? That's so cool.
MADISON: So
STEPHANIE: The
Backyard Farm,
which is what we
call our SOW Collective
was really from that idea
that you could have a farm
in your backyard, you could
have it in your neighborhood,
you could have it
in a very small space,
and it will still be important.
INDY: And so then how do
you have access to this land?
STEPHANIE: So, it's
owned by the neighbors here,
and so they're
able to rent it to us.
MADISON: We pay for the
water bill and the property tax.
INDY: That's so cool, and so
then what did this area look
like before you three
started growing food?
MADISON: Yeah, it
was just Bermuda grass.
INDY: Driving around LA, you
just see all these vacant lots
and you're like, how is
nobody growing food there, when,
when there are so many
food insecure neighborhoods.
I think it's
really important work.
You can tell that they've
put a lot of love into it,
and that space would
be completely empty if
it wasn't for
their collective vision.
Some of the plants in
this garden look healthy,
but in the blazing
hot California sun that
I'm all too familiar with,
others seem to be suffering.
Is this an irrigation line
that I'm seeing in here?
MADISON: Yes, it is. Our
irrigation is a little bit, um.
HALEY: DIY.
MADISON: DIY. Yeah.
INDY: Uh-huh.
MADISON: So, like, these
corner plants don't get enough water.
You can see this one's
drying out a little bit.
HALEY: Last summer, we
didn't had a good yield,
we lost all the crops
because of the heat.
So we would really want to
not repeat that this summer.
INDY: 'Kay, so you
have the spear heads,
so this isn't like a
drip line, you're not,
there's no holes in this.
MADISON: We need a
little revamp on that
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: So that we can have
more successful crops to feed more people.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: We've got some parsley
that has gotten to flower.
INDY: Nice. And they're
flowering and they're,
you know, inviting in more
community of pollinators.
Pollinators could be a key to
encouraging more crop growth,
and to attract
more pollinators,
this farm needs
more native plants.
STEPHANIE: And then we've
got some beets over here.
INDY: Oh!
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah, and
this one's actually ready,
if you'd like to harvest it.
INDY: Oh, my gosh, yes.
Our first beet of the winter.
Oh, man, this is a nice one.
MADISON: Oh, wow.
STEPHANIE: Oh. Oh, wow!
INDY: Wow. I love it.
MADISON: We should eat it.
INDY: Yeah?
MADISON: We can wash it
off at the hose and taste it.
INDY: I love that you all were like,
"Let's wash it off," like,
I'm such a weirdo that
I'm always just like
(grunts)
STEPHANIE: Little bionic,
right? INDY: Yeah, exactly.
Okay, yeah, let's wash
it off, let's be civilized.
MADISON: These
beets are all ready.
(laughs).
INDY: Yay.
MADISON: We also have blueberries
planted in the middle here.
INDY: I noticed that.
So blueberries are
kind of acid loving.
They like an acidic soil,
so I always add my
coffee grinds to blueberries.
STEPHANIE: Oh.
INDY: Yeah, and you
don't even have to, like,
let it fully compose,
you can just let it compose
straight into the bed.
HALEY: Good tip, good tip.
STEPHANIE: Pro tip, pro tip,
we're gonna have to try that.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: And then these
are really exciting,
barrels of potatoes.
It's so nice for people
to see how potatoes grow,
that they do produce a
green leafy part just like
any plant does,
because every, I don't know,
it's like when I was a kid,
I didn't really have access
to seeing how food grew,
and so I just thought potatoes,
I don't know, were just, like,
out in the field like rocks and
you just kinda
like picked 'em up.
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Pick 'em up, right?
INDY: And then you just
turned 'em into a French fry,
and there you go.
HALEY: Your snap your fingers,
it becomes a fry?
INDY: Yeah, exactly.
HALEY: Let's go eat a beets.
INDY: Yes. Yes, I almost
forgot I was holding it.
MADISON: Beet cheers.
(laughter).
INDY: Woo!
I don't think I've ever, like,
gnawed into one
raw like an apple,
but I, I'm down
to give it a try.
MADISON: Let's check it out.
INDY: Mm. Oh my gosh.
Look at the inside of mine.
MADISON: Whoa!
INDY: Yeah. This is so cool.
STEPHANIE: This is so good.
INDY: Mm, that flavor.
MADISON: I love this.
STEPHANIE: Wow. Okay.
INDY: Biting into
that beet, you know,
it was fun but it was a lot
different than just biting into
a beet that you might
get from the grocery store.
It was a lot more symbolic.
It had this
feeling of community.
There are people out there
trying to do really good work
in their neighborhoods.
STEPHANIE: I didn't know I
liked beets just like this,
but I can do it.
INDY: What made you realize
that you wanted to grow food?
HALEY: It's just
by being here.
You know, back home in, in China,
I didn't have this opportunity.
INDY: So this is
such a shift for you?
HALEY: It is! Like, we
don't have suburbs there.
I'm, I'm living in
apartment my whole life,
so this really is a
privilege to have this access
to this type of
environment here.
STEPHANIE: I think it's
also just like paying, like,
respect to kind of, like,
our backgrounds as well.
Like, we think about our
grandmothers when we're in
this space and we just
hope people feel that,
they feel that comfort when they come here.
INDY: Yeah. Did your grandmother
grow food growing up?
STEPHANIE: Yeah, my
grandma, she's from Mexico,
so I think when I
think about food,
I think about that hard
work that's put into it.
MADISON: My grandparents
were actually industrial farmers in
the Midwest, and they
didn't know back then that
synthetic pesticides and
fertilizers were actually
causing a lotta
damage to our environment.
And so, um, I learned
that first hand by growing up
on a river that was polluted
by agricultural runoff.
So I just wanted to do my part
in creating a better future.
INDY: The SOW Collective
Garden is adorable, but I'm interested
in how many people they can
really affect with a plot this size.
I would love to see, you know,
who's in this community and
MADISON: Yeah!
INDY: And what's going on.
MADISON: Let's go check it
out. INDY: Yeah?
Getting to know the area may give
me a better understanding of how I can
help the SOW Collective
reach more people.
STEPHANIE: So,
Arleta is really home to,
I would say, we have
kind of all demographics,
but prominently it
would be, like, Latinx,
it would be, um,
Asian American, Filipino.
HALEY: Yeah.
So really diverse, uh.
We know a lot of neighbors.
MADISON: They
will support us.
INDY: Hey.
MADISON: Hi. Hi.
HALEY: Hi.
Um, this is a middle class
neighborhood that, like,
it's been just historically
neglected by the city.
INDY: So, would you consider
this area a food desert?
Like, how, how close to grocery stores
are people that live here?
MADISON: Yeah, I've heard
it called before a food swamp.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
MADISON: When there's a
lot of fast food around.
That's, like, the easy option,
the convenient option.
So we're there to
flip that upside down,
bring in this
fresh space, organic farm.
INDY: Food sovereignty is
this concept that individuals within
their community can be
completely responsible for
sourcing their
own food, locally.
On the other side of
that is the term food swamp,
which refers to an area where
residents may struggle to find
affordable healthy food.
HALEY: You look at
the grocery stores,
they don't have a
lot of organic options,
so being here, being in
a walkable distance for
the neighbors is
very important to us.
INDY: What a cute neighborhood,
and I can really see how, like,
it's amazing that
this is on a corner, too.
It really has turned into, like,
the cornerstone of
food in this neighborhood.
The family and
emotional connection to this
garden runs deep, for
all three of these farmers.
What are some of the
things that you've faced in,
in growing food in this space?
MADISON: As you
can see at our farm,
there's not a
whole lotta shade.
(laughter)
Um, so the temperatures
in the heat of summer
get up past 110 degrees.
INDY: Oh, wow.
MADISON: And we have
this brick wall that just
radiates heat back
on to our plants,
and we can lose a
lot of our crops,
which in turn means we can't feed as many
people in our neighborhood.
HALEY: Yeah.
And also the irrigation.
INDY: Yeah.
Water access is such a huge
issue in Southern California.
HAILEY: Yes.
MADISON: We have to elevate this farm
so that we can grow
more food for our community.
INDY: It's amazing
what Haley, Maddie,
and Stephanie have been
able to do in two years.
But it's clear improvements need to be made.
Their irrigation
system is inefficient.
They don't have enough
pollinators to propagate
their crops, nor yields
to feed their community.
And worst of all, the plants
are roasting in the hot sun.
They're throwing a
two year anniversary party
in just a few days, and
my hope is to use the party
as a launchpad to
tackle these issues.
Now it's time for me to
rally some farmers to help
their fellow farmers, and
really get this garden growing.
HALEY: Thank you.
STEPHANIE: Thank you.
INDY: All right, bye!
MADISON: See you soon.
HALEY: See you soon.
STEPHANIE: Bye.
INDY: I'll be back.
SOW Collective is trying to
make their micro-farm thrive
in a concrete suburbia.
Others have
certainly come before them,
so I'm going to tap into the knowledge
of some nearby farmers.
I'm meeting with David Newsom
of The Wild Yards Project,
and his friend
Janet Valenzuela.
The Wild Yards Project is
a non-profit on a mission,
to convert grass lawns
into thriving habitats.
American lawns drink about
nine billion gallons
of fresh water a day,
and are responsible for
5% of total air pollution.
And if SOW Collective is
going to increase their crop yield,
they're going to need a
leg up from nature's helpers.
This feels like this is what
Earth is meant to look like.
INDY: This looks amazing!
DAVID: So, two
and a half years ago,
this was a lawn, and we
started planting native plants,
to show people what this
land is meant to look like,
so that we could invite as much
light back into the site as possible.
INDY: Wow.
DAVID: What you're also doing is creating
sanctuaries for native bees.
INDY: It's almost like they
have their own little metropolis.
One misconception is that
all bees are native to the US,
but there's actually a
shortage of native bees,
and so it's really important to
use plants that would naturally
be growing in the area,
to bring in pollinators,
that will in turn also help
pollinate some of the crops
that SOW Collective
is growing.
The California poppies
never cease to amaze.
There's some lupin here?
DAVID: Yep.
We have a royal lupin.
This is a one year old
California buckwheat,
and California buckwheat,
it probably has the greatest
pollinator appeal of almost
any plant in our ecosystem.
INDY: So this is like the
equivalent of a coral reef?
DAVID: Yeah. It is a,
it is a very powerful and
useful coral, and a
lot of people, you know,
don't show it
any love or respect
INDY: Aww.
DAVID: But this plant is
holding down our ecosystem.
JANET: Yeah. I mean, if you
bring anyone in the community
and they see something,
they're like, "What
can I use this for?"
That's often the question
that community members will ask,
and it's like we've always
had a symbiotic relationship
with plants, and so of course it's an
instinct in us to be like,
how can I use this plant,
what can this plant do for me
and what can I
do for the plant?
INDY: Whenever we
build a freeway, a house,
or even a farm, we disrupt the natural
flow of the native ecology.
Everything from plants, bugs,
and birds migrate from
one habitat to another.
What's essential to
their existence is how well
habitats connect
to one another.
Throughout the world,
urban communities have begun
to design and
maintain eco-corridors.
These human-helped arteries
of nature can be wildlife bridges
over highways so
animals can cross safely.
They can also be lawns,
patios, even tiny balconies,
that can be transformed with
the presence of specific plants
designed to lure and nurture
habitat wherever it's found.
Everything here
looks stunning, I,
I want to help my
friends at SOW Collective
do what you're doing,
and what do you recommend?
DAVID: So, black sage,
Cleveland sage, white sage.
JANET: Autumn sage.
DAVID: Um, California buckwheat.
INDY: Adding more native
plants to the SOW Collective space will
do wonders to balance
out their ecosystem,
boost the natural
pollination process,
and turn out more
yield from their crops.
I have another friend who's making
the most of a small space,
and I think he'll have
some ideas for how to combat
the blazing California sun.
ERIC: Hey. How's it goin'?
INDY: Hey!
ERIC: It's so nice to
have you, thanks for comin'.
INDY: Yes.
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: Can't wait
to check it out.
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: How have you been?
It is toasty.
ERIC: Good. It is.
It's a hot day, so a lotta,
a lotta taking care
of the plants today.
INDY: Eric
started out as a chef,
but found growing food
to be more rewarding.
He's been able to transform
his property into a thriving
backyard farm that supplies
local restaurants and markets.
ERIC: So, this area is kinda
like a transition into the farm,
so we trial some cut
flowers down here in crates and
then a bunch of native plants.
INDY: I love it.
ERIC: Yeah, so this is the farm.
INDY: Oh. This is awesome!
What?
I would never expect that all
of this food is growing back here.
ERIC: Yeah, it's a little unassuming
from the street, yeah,
just because of the hillside.
INDY: He's really
embraced his location,
and turned it into these
perfectly terraced rows and rows
and rows of green veggies.
Just, like, seeing how you're
workin' with the hillside,
you don't really see
that that much around here.
ERIC: Yeah, definitely.
INDY: Usually people
are farming on level land.
ERIC: It's kind of by
necessity in a lotta ways.
But let's head up the
hill and you can see kinda
the other areas of the farm.
INDY: Okay. Oh, carrots.
ERIC: Yeah. Carrots.
INDY: Those carrots are
pretty close to ready, yeah?
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: Wow.
Everything looks so
incredible from up here too.
It feels like.
This is where I feel like I
would hang out in every day.
How, how much space
did you say this was?
ERIC: Uh, with the kinda
house, it's, like, 1.2 acres.
INDY: Okay, yeah.
But I feel like, you know,
the average person doesn't need
1.2 acres to grow food for
themselves or their family.
ERIC: No. Right.
You can really kind of fit
a lot into a small space,
and so a lot of what we do
here is really applicable to
someone who's
growing at home.
INDY: I know that Eric
is no stranger to the heat,
so I'm just looking
around and trying to figure out
how he deals
with this direct sun.
My friends like I was
mentioning at SOW Collective,
they really want to
lower the temperature.
ERIC: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
INDY: Of their
farm, you know,
they're getting kind
of blasted with heat.
You could fry an egg
on their, on their soil.
ERIC: Right.
Well, actually, the thing
that we're doing is using, um,
shade cloth, and I could
show you on this bed here.
INDY: Nice.
ERIC: Um, so if you
want to take a few.
INDY: Yes.
ERIC: They're a little hot.
INDY: Oh. Oh.
ERIC: Yeah.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
INDY: They're really hot.
ERIC: It's a hot day.
INDY: I feel like this is
just further driving the point
home that it's really hot.
ERIC: It's very hot.
Yeah, I mean, that's interesting
about shade is, like,
underneath that
shade'll be 20 degrees cooler.
Pull them through
these three.
INDY: Cool.
ERIC: Yeah.
I'll hold this shade cloth
and you can roll it out.
INDY: Oh, yay.
(laughs)
ERIC: You can just pull.
INDY: Okay, cool.
ERIC: Yeah. There, out it
goes. INDY: Oh, fun.
I feel like we're
flying a kite together.
(laughs)
ERIC: And then, we'll
unfold it, up and over.
Yeah, perfect.
INDY: I was hoping we
would run under it, like,
in elementary school.
ERIC: You could
army crawl, maybe.
INDY: Yeah.
ERIC: You know?
When the plants, like, when they're
wilting in the afternoon sun, you know,
obviously it's
not gonna kill them,
but they stop photosynthesizing
during that period,
and they're actually using up
energy rather than creating it.
So especially
with, like, you know,
younger plants
that we transplant in,
the shade really helps
with transplant shock.
INDY: Nice, yeah.
Transplant shock.
I feel like I got transplant
shock when I moved to LA.
ERIC: I'm sure.
INDY: I like this
neat little row cover.
It feels like we
tucked them into bed
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: And, like, now we
can play their lullaby.
Seemed like, you know,
such a simple solution to
making sure that your water
isn't evaporating straight out
of your garden beds as
fast as you can put it in.
And this is really accessible,
this is really easy for
the everyday person to use.
And you could physically put
your hand underneath and feel
how much cooler it was just
by adding that small structure.
Bye, lettuce.
With Eric's help, I've got a
great idea for how to handle
the shade problem
at SOW Collective.
But I still need to
tackle the irrigation problem,
and I think I
know just the place.
INDY: I'm on my
way to Pasadena,
to visit the
Urban Homestead farm.
Where three
siblings took over
their father's
37 year old backyard farm.
With the help of
interns and volunteers.
I think this
place is something like
what SOW Collective
is aspiring to be.
ANAIS: Good morning.
(gasps)
INDY: Hey.
ANAIS: Hey. How you doin'?
INDY: It's so nice to meet you
in person and see your garden,
this is stunning.
ANAIS: I am so glad
and the pansy's happy face
is greeting you as well.
INDY: Oh. Yes. Yes.
This is way more
than I imagined, like,
what you've done
in this small space.
ANAIS: Yeah, in
this small space.
That's what it's
supposed to be, small.
It can be
beautiful and productive,
and that's what
we're trying to show here.
So, let me show you around!
INDY: This is beautiful.
ANAIS: Yeah, thank you.
(sighs)
INDY: You're, you're one of
the only gardens that I've seen
that's just taken
over your front yard.
ANAIS: Yeah. So, front yard.
We transformed this from
typical urban front lawn.
INDY: Like grass and
ANAIS: Grass, in '89.
So, my dad was
very practical,
and it was a
drought at that time.
You know, California
struggles with drought,
and so if we have to water,
might as well water something
and then you know, the birds and
the bees and we benefit as well.
INDY: Exactly.
ANAIS: We're actually
regenerating the landscape by
changing over, you know,
the typical lawn.
INDY: Right. Show me
more ANAIS: Great!
INDY: I, I would love,
like, a little
ANAIS: Yeah, let's go meet
the rest of the family in the back.
INDY: Oh, okay.
This urban farm has the exact
same beginning as everyone else
in the neighborhood.
They're given the
exact same allotment,
but what the Urban Homestead
has done with their space is
just vastly different
than the folks around them.
You
JORDANNE: I'm Jordannne.
INDY: I'm Indy, nice to meet.
JUSTIN: Justin.
Nice to meet you.
INDY: Nice to meet you.
JORDANNE: Welcome.
INDY: This is incredible.
You're living in a dream.
(laughs)
INDY: So, so it went
from your, your dad?
ANAIS: Yeah, we're
second generation farmer.
INDY: No way!
ANAIS: Yeah, urban farmers.
Yeah. And you can see some
of the spaces that we transformed.
This were our
very first garden.
INDY: Oh, what?
Oh my gosh.
ANAIS: This is
back in the days. Yes.
INDY: Wow.
This is some real, like,
street cred, like,
you really were doing this
before anyone else was doing
the food not lawns.
JUSTIN: Yeah.
ANAIS: We've been
selling edible flowers and,
and produce for, to restaurants and
caterers since, like, '92.
JORDANNE: And, yeah, what makes it
successful is we all have our passions.
So together you know, I,
I love the animals, he's, like,
he can't stop planting plants.
And so, between.
JUSTIN: She
likes the flowers.
JORDANNE: She likes the
flowers, so putting all our passions
together has made it this,
like, little, you know,
micro-climate of amazing,
you know, production, so
INDY: You know, this is
really cool to see because
I have some friends who have
a pretty much a micro-farm,
and they are in their
first two years of farming.
JORDANNE: Hmm.
INDY: And so it's incredible
to see your first two years,
and how much
you can achieve.
They definitely
have a few kinks that
they're trying
to still work out.
ANAIS: Yeah. Even
mature farms have it too,
30 years later,
we still have problems.
JORDANNE: Years later,
INDY: Yeah. Yeah, so they're
getting just baked by the sun,
and they're having problems
with their irrigation system,
and on any farm,
water is, like,
one of the most
precious resources.
ANAIS: Right. Right.
INDY: So it's like, I want to
come up with some sort of way
for them to water all of their
plants without just standing out
there with a hose all day long.
ANAIS: Yeah, I think
we can help you, um
JORDANNE: We
have some ideas.
ANAIS: And we have
some ideas that, you know,
suggestions that we've
put into practice over
the years and we've done.
Yeah, let's go check it out.
INDY: Okay, yeah.
ANAIS: All right.
Well, come on through.
All right, Louis will
show you our urban farm.
INDY: Oh! This is amazing!
This is beautiful!
ANAIS: This is
our field of greens.
INDY: This is a dream.
Well, I, I can't believe
that this is back here.
Even though the
SOW Collective
are three friends
and not three siblings,
I could totally envision
them being really similar
in a few years, just growing food
and connecting with
their community
in the same way.
Just show me.
That kale is stunning.
ANAIS: So, lots of greens,
we have radishes, kales.
LOUIS: And we have
apple trees on the side.
We got our salad mix.
Some more lettuce.
INDY: Okay.
ANAIS: This is you know, from farm to
table is just a couple feet.
So, but yeah, our backyard is our
grocery store (inaudible).
So you can see here
we have our chickens.
INDY: No! Oh, my gosh.
ANAIS: They're taking
dust baths right here.
JORDANNE: Yeah, this is their
INDY: I love the dust baths.
JORDANNE: This is their
midday dust bath bathing spa day.
INDY: Aww.
ANAIS: I think Justin's gonna explain
about all the ollas, right?
JUSTIN: So here we are
our clay pots, our ollas.
INDY: Nice.
JUSTIN: This is how we
install our drift irrigation.
JORDANNE: Pay close
attention, it's very technical.
INDY: Oh, yeah.
What?
And then you fill
that up with the water?
JUSTIN: Yeah,
and plant around it.
INDY: And
JUSTIN: It's a
self-watering container now.
INDY: So, how is the
water getting out of
this clay pot into
the rest of the
JUSTIN: Yeah, it's
unglazed so it sweats.
INDY: I've seen a lot
of methods of irrigation,
but these clay pots or
ollas are eye-opening.
So olla is just the
Spanish word for clay pot.
JUSTIN: That's
basically what it is.
INDY: Okay, cool.
JORDANNE: Bottle.
JUSTIN: Yes.
INDY: It sounds so much
cooler when you call it an olla.
JUSTIN: Yes, a olla.
INDY: Yeah.
Clay pot irrigation dates back
thousands of years.
Remnants have been found
in ancient garden beds from
China to South America.
When soil is dry,
moisture from within
the pot is drawn out,
through the porous clay and
seeps through the soil evenly.
JUSTIN: So we got the ollas
here every couple of feet.
INDY: Wow.
These look awesome.
Ollas are simple and efficient.
When compared to
traditional watering,
they can save up to 70%.
And so the idea is
that because it's unglazed,
the water is just
able to seep out.
JUSTIN: So in
the summer time,
we'll fill it up more often,
obviously, 'cause it's hotter.
INDY: Okay.
JUSTIN: Winter time, um,
maybe every couple o' weeks.
INDY: So, what,
what is their, like,
you know, radius
for sweating the
JUSTIN: It would be
about two, two feet radius,
so diameter would be
one foot on each side.
So if you planted
this one, let's see here,
you know you got
a foot on this side,
and then next one
would be two feet down.
INDY: Wow.
JUSTIN: We've been
usin' them for 15, 20 years.
They're, like you said,
it's saved us a ton of water.
Our water bill for the
entire year's, like, $1,000.
INDY: Wow.
I can't wait to bring this idea
to my friends at SOW Collective,
because I think that this could help
solve a lot of their problems.
JORDANNE: All right guys,
sorry to interrupt,
we have a couple orders come in,
we have to get 'em picked for
the Chef Daphaline today.
INDY: No way.
Yeah, I can help you.
JORDANNE: Yeah. Absolutely.
INDY: I can give you a hand.
The Urban Homestead
is like a window into what
SOW Collective could be,
with decades of
experience behind them.
Their interns take home fresh
food and the farm donates over
10,000 pounds of food to
neighbors in need every year.
Absolutely inspiring.
Honestly, this has
been really helpful for me.
I feel like I can go back to
my friends at SOW Collective
and tell them about the ollas.
I think they're gonna
love that, like, that there's
this low tech way of
watering their garden
ANAIS: Yeah.
INDY: That's, like,
a light bulb moment.
ANAIS: And you're, you're
gonna take some ollas home with you.
INDY: No. Really?
ANAIS: Yes.
JORDANNE: Yeah.
ANAIS: You are, yes.
INDY: Aww.
ANAIS: So we
have some set aside!
INDY: What?
ANAIS: Yes.
INDY: Thank you.
That's super kind.
Oh gosh, awesome.
ANAIS: So
INDY: This is perfect.
I can, like, bring
this right over to them.
ANAIS: Right.
INDY: Bye, plants.
I'm gonna miss you.
Well, I'm just excited
to be able to go back to
SOW Collective and give
them this sense of hope.
Having just this notion that
there's folks out there doing
the exact same kind of work
that you're doing and succeeding,
and are still
passionate about it.
And they're still there,
they're still functioning,
they're still the cornerstone
of their community.
♪
INDY: When I get
back to SOW Collective,
the team is in full swing,
getting ready for their
two year anniversary party,
where some of my changes
will start to take shape.
And I can't attend a party
without bringing something.
STEPHANIE: Hey, Indy! Woo.
MADISON: Welcome back!
HALEY: Nice to see you!
INDY: Um, I do have something
that I want to show you.
Yeah, come, come
outside with me.
Yes, yes.
STEPHANIE: All right.
INDY: This way, this way.
STEPHANIE: Let's do it.
MADISON: Okay, let's do it.
INDY: David from Wild Yards
has brought a friend and a whole
bunch of gorgeous native
plants to donate to SOW Collective.
DAVID: This is Matthew
Burrows. MATTHEW: Hi.
DAVID: Owner of
Plant Material nursery.
WOMAN: Hi, Matthew!
MATTHEW: Hi, I'm Matt.
DAVID: He conspired with
Indy to get 'ya a little few more plants
for your pollinator garden.
MATTHEW: I brought some plants.
STEPHANIE: Oh, my gosh.
(gasps).
Ooh.
MADISON: Wow.
STEPHANIE: We love plants.
HALEY: Oh, you're sweet.
MATTHEW: Let's go
with the tried and true.
MADISON: Ooh.
STEPHANIE: Ooh. My sage.
INDY: These are
native California plants,
and so they'll not
only bring in pollinators,
but they'll also kind of
help remediate the soil.
STEPHANIE: Oh, those are beautiful
large plants already too.
DAVID: Well, we thought
you might appreciate too.
MATTHEW: Some of them
have some blooms comin' out.
MADISON: Yeah!
HALEY: Yeah!
INDY: I was hangin' out at,
um, David's spot where he's totally
transformed what would've otherwise
been just a grass yard area,
kind of like what the
lot looked like before,
before you guys
started planting.
There are hummingbirds
everywhere and butterflies.
I mean, it was just like this
whole community of pollinators.
MADISON: Oh, what's that?
STEPHANIE: Pretty.
INDY: This? Yes, you
have to take this out.
STEPHANIE: What is this one?
MATTHEW: Tell 'em about that.
DAVID: Yeah. This
is apricot mallow.
This is our
indigenous mallow.
MADISON: Aww.
STEPHANIE: Apricot mallow.
DAVID: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: It's gorgeous.
DAVID: We'll really like it
out in the hot and dry out here.
MADISON: Perfect.
DAVID: Big bee magnet.
You'll get all kinds of
native bees on this plant.
MADISON: Awesome.
STEPHANIE: I'm, like, I want
to hug it 'cause it's so beautiful.
DAVID: Yeah.
(laughter).
Makes a nice big basket,
and loves the heat.
This is bladder pod, which
has the funniest name in the world.
MADISON: Ah.
DAVID: Huge pollinator plant,
hummingbirds love it.
All the native bees love it.
Everybody likes it.
(cheering).
STEPHANIE: Awesome.
Sweet. DAVID: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: We're gonna get some
hummingbirds over here?
Very rare for us.
DAVID: If you plant them,
they will come.
Am I right?
STEPHANIE: Absolutely.
I love it.
DAVID: So, if you cut
this down, you get that flow,
and the bees that come to
this will more easily and
intuitively go
right into your
HALEY: Yeah.
DAVID: Your
flowers of the edibles.
So, you'll get more pollination.
HALEY: Thank you for doing
this. STEPHANIE: Thank you.
MATTHEW: You're very welcome.
MADISON: Thank you.
MATTHEW: Thank you guys.
INDY: Thanks, guys.
DAVID: Have fun.
INDY: We'll get these beautiful new plants
into the ground on
both sides of the hedge later.
Now, I've brought one
more surprise to the party.
Well, I have a local friend named Brittany
who's an incredible artist,
and she agreed to come do an interactive
mural painting session
during the SOW
Collective party,
and so I think that this is a
great way to just bring in folks
and make them feel
like a part of the farm.
BRITTANY: So I've basically
just laid the sketch and I'm excited
to paint with
the community later.
MADISON: Ah.
INDY: Thank you so much,
Brittany, you're awesome.
I knew she would
be perfect for this.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: And this light color is going to be so
much better for this wall.
You're not gonna get all,
you're not gonna get everything
blasted by the sun again.
MADISON: Exactly!
It's gonna tame down the
heat, the plants will be able to hang
out around all
this beautiful art.
INDY: Yeah. And this is
great advertising for you guys.
It's such a selfie moment.
MADISON: It is, and it has a
great meaning behind it because
that's what we stand for, is
moving into a direction that's
more sustainable and more
inclusive for all cultures.
Thank you so much,
Brittany, for being here.
BRITTANY: Thank you for
having me, I'm so excited.
MADISON: Yeah! Woo.
So let's get to the party.
INDY: Yes!
I will help you drink a neat.
MADISON: Thanks. Woo!
INDY: Yes.
♪
STEPHANIE: Thank you so much for
coming and thank you to our donors.
(applause)
MADISON: Enjoy the day!
(overlapping chatter)
INDY: It was awesome seeing
the community come together,
celebrating two years
of SOW Collective.
Now, it's time to
roll up our sleeves and
start summoning
some birds and bugs.
If you bring in
these native plants,
then you're gonna have more of the local
native pollinators coming in.
And so creating a habitat of
these local pollinators is gonna
increase your crop yields,
and it's also just nice.
I mean, it's, who doesn't want
to see butterflies and moths and
bees and hummingbirds
hanging out in their garden?
MADISON: We're all
about inviting the bugs in.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: The more,
the merrier.
INDY: Let's get to work.
MADISON: All right, let's do it.
HALEY: Right. Do it.
MADISON: This is so exciting,
I love planting natives 'cause
you know they're gonna
be there for years to come.
INDY: Yeah, they're gonna do
so well and they won't require as
much water as you know,
non-native crops because
they're very drought tolerant.
STEPHANIE: Let's
dig some holes.
INDY: Yeah.
HALEY: More diggin'.
I feel like people are lacking opportunities
to work with their hands.
I feel like with
your imagination,
you need to exercise it.
Like, if you don't put effort
long time, you lose that.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Lookin' really
deep, should we, do we add water?
INDY: You want to pop
this baby out and stick it in?
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Sure.
Are we massagin'
the roots a little bit?
HALEY: Just a little bit.
INDY: Get it, get it,
shake it, shake it.
STEPHANIE:
Yeah. Little wiggle.
INDY: With some
of its native soil.
HALEY: Live
long and prosper.
MADISON: Ooh. Ah.
(laughter).
HALEY: Wait,
this is really deep.
MADISON: Oh, it's beautiful.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: Oh, that's awesome.
MADISON: Woo.
INDY: This looks great,
but guess what.
I have other stuff
to show you guys.
MADISON: All right.
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: More presents?
STEPHANIE: Oh,
my gosh. Indy.
♪
INDY: We have solutions underway to
help bring in native pollinators and address
the heat radiating
off the brick wall.
Now it's time to
tackle the issue of shade,
and luckily, Stephanie's
friend Oscar is a contractor.
OSCAR: So this whole
site is gonna be shaded,
and then at the end we'll put a
big one at the end, a 16 by 16.
STEPHANIE: Beautiful.
MAN: Plants sure need it.
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah. Thank you.
OSCAR: Not only
the plants, so do we.
MADISON: This is awesome.
(laughter).
INDY: All right, well, yeah,
let's get to work.
OSCAR: We're gonna lift up
this post and put in the hole.
INDY: Yeah.
OSCAR: It's a little heavy and then we're
just gonna try to center it.
INDY: Okay.
I was visiting my
friends at Avenue 33,
which is a, also
a local urban farm,
and I realized that a
shade structure would
really help cool
down this area.
It's not easy working
in full sun like that.
You know, it's hot, it's dry,
but I know that their community
is really invested in
seeing this farm succeed.
MAN: We'll show you
real quick this side now.
It is nice and level.
OSCAR: Yeah.
INDY: Wait, this is braced, do
I need to hold this in anymore?
MAN: This is braced.
OSCAR: You're good.
MAN: This side as well.
OSCAR: Yeah.
And then when we
pour the concrete,
it's not going anywhere.
INDY: With the construction
of the shade post well on its way,
it's now time to focus on
SOW Collective's
irrigation system.
So, these are called ollas, so
it's just Spanish for clay pot,
but this works in a similar way than the
irrigation system would work.
HALEY: Oh.
STEPHANIE: Mm-hmm.
INDY: They actually seep
water out into the garden.
MADISON: Amazing.
HALEY: And it's really smart.
INDY: Yeah.
So this is not as you can tell
any kind of modern invention,
they've been using this in
North Africa and West Africa and
Burkina Faso, and certain parts of China
for over 4,000 years to water gardens
MADISON: Oh, my gosh.
That's so special.
INDY: Which is super cool.
I know, I love it.
So for a bed this size, we
could probably do two or three.
HALEY: They're really cute.
INDY: So then it's a
lot easier as you know than
installing a drip
irrigation system.
HALEY: That's so special.
STEPHANIE: Oh, my gosh.
MADISON: Thank you.
INDY: Yeah.
I can't wait to
show you how they work.
While Maddie and Stephanie help
Oscar out with the shade structures,
Haley and I will
find a home for these ollas.
HALEY: It takes, like,
two feet, right?
INDY: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
HALEY: Covers
I mean, how about here?
We have some space right here,
we wanted to grow
more towards the middle.
INDY: Right, yeah.
It doesn't have to be
right in a garden bed.
Each olla can water up
to two feet in diameter,
and the team decides to
sink some native plants around
this one once it's buried.
So we're gonna make the
hole go as high as the base of this.
So we're gonna
leave this exposed.
HALEY: Okay.
I just feel like this is
so cute, like, it's so round.
INDY: It is really cute.
HALEY: I know, and I don't
know, I just really have a soft spot
for clever low-tech,
but, you know, like,
strategies that leverages
what nature already does.
INDY: It's, like, interesting to think
that both of our ancestors,
even though they were
living on different continents,
were using ollas.
HALEY: Absolutely. I know.
INDY: And
And now we're using it and you're still
passionate about growing food.
HALEY: That's crazy.
I know. I know.
I'm happy to, yeah, find this connection
with my ancestor here it
INDY: So, you said
you grew up in China.
When did you move here?
HALEY: I moved here
when I was 16 in 2017.
INDY: No way, that's wild.
HALEY: So, it's been hard.
You know, different foods,
different cultures.
You know, one of
the hardest thing,
it's just very hard
to meet new people.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
HALEY: Um, because,
yeah, it's a suburb,
everybody's kinda confined
in their single family houses,
I mean, which is feeding to
part of the reason why I'm seem
so in love with this idea,
'cause it's a space to bring
people together, that did not previously
exist in this neighborhood.
INDY: Absolutely. Yeah.
HALEY: This is so neat.
INDY: Yeah.
It looks cute, doesn't it?
HALEY: I know.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's magical.
Now we pour water in it?
INDY: Yes. Exactly,
now we pour water in it.
HALEY: Okay.
Olla in, that was not that hard.
INDY: Right? I know,
it was really simple.
It's really their stories
that make me realize a lot of
how I felt when I
started growing food.
That access to food,
or lack thereof,
really shaped how she
views growing food now.
Then, like, her getting
excited about plants made
me excited about plants.
HALEY: I love it.
STEPHANIE: Hey, ladies,
what are you guys up to?
INDY: Hey.
HALEY: Hey. This baby's in.
STEPHANIE: Ooh.
That's so crazy,
you can barely see it.
INDY: Right?
With the olla planted,
the SOW Collective farmers
surround it with four
plants that will drink from it.
There's more to do, but I'm
heading out with the knowledge
that they're on the right path.
And I'll be back soon to
check on how things are going.
STEPHANIE: Yeah, we can't
wait till you visit us again
so you can see the
finishing results.
INDY: Yeah.
HALEY: Give us, like, a month, and
we'll finish irrigation, everything, yeah.
INDY: Yeah. Of course.
MADISON: See you next time. Woo.
INDY: I know, I know.
I can't believe I'm leaving.
With these simple
low-tech solutions,
SOW Collective should
start immediately seeing
big improvements
to their crops.
I can't wait to see if
our changes have worked.
INDY: It's been two months
and summer is fast approaching
in Southern California.
I'm anxious to see how the
SOW Collective is getting on
with some of the issues
affecting their farm.
Their imperfect
irrigation system,
low crop yields, and
their battle against
the blazing hot sun.
Hi. How's it goin'?
HALEY: Hi, it's Indy!
INDY: So good to see you.
How have you been?
It's so good to see you.
MADISON: Woo. Welcome!
INDY: Thank you.
MADISON: We've missed you.
INDY: I've missed you guys.
STEPHANIE: Hello, hello.
INDY: Hi.
STEPHANIE: Welcome!
INDY: This is beautiful.
When I was here last, there
were a few plants here and there.
But everything is in full
bloom and it's really healthy.
So there's vibrant green.
And then, my eyes immediately move to the shade.
There's shade.
Oh, my gosh.
This looks so good.
I mean, it's crazy you can
see such a huge difference,
even just on the
ground between
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: Where it's
sunny and shade.
I want to go stand
under there.
HALEY: Same. Same.
MADISON: It's
such a hot day, and
INDY: It's such a hot day.
MADISON: Not only for
ourselves, but for our plants.
INDY: Wow.
MADISON: So the shade has really
helped us have a successful crop of peppers.
INDY: That's so cool.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: Wow, you can
seriously see a huge difference.
MADISON: Yeah.
These are just lush,
and thriving,
so this is gonna be a higher yield to
feed our neighbors with.
INDY: That's so awesome.
You guys really
just made it work.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: This looks incredible!
I'm so excited,
I want to feel the soil.
MADISON: Yeah!
(laughter).
INDY: Like, let me touch it.
So, the shade structures that
we put in have really helped
mitigate water evaporation.
Now, the water is staying
where it needs to be, in the soil.
Oh, my gosh, the
finished mural.
This looks so good.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: It turned out
really nicely, and just, like,
having these soft colors
back here really, like,
brightens it up.
MADISON: We're so
grateful for Brittany.
INDY: How are the
pollinators doing?
MADISON: Variety.
INDY: Ah!
HALEY: They're doing great.
INDY: They look awesome.
STEPHANIE: Definitely seen,
like, more butterflies.
MADISON: And I think because we also
trimmed these hedges lower.
INDY: That's so cool,
you've created like
this little pollinator highway.
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Yay, I love that.
INDY: And there's
a pollinator now.
MADISON: Yep.
INDY: Aww!
(laughter).
MADISON: They
frequent here often.
INDY: That's so incredible.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: David Newsom at Wild
Yards suggested that they cut their
hedges and turn this
area into an eco-corridor,
where butterflies and moths
and ladybugs are able to come in
and thrive, and I think it's
incredible to see how these
three ladies have just
taken that information and
made it their own.
Oh, I see one of the ollas too.
STEPHANIE: Just the
top of it buried there.
INDY: Oh, my gosh.
How have the ollas
been working out?
STEPHANIE: We don't hand
water this section at all,
so they are just
doing their thing.
We'll probably
have to get some more.
INDY: Yeah, it's super moist here and
you guys aren't hand watering this.
HALEY: They're doing their
part to keep our water bills down.
STEPHANIE: Mm-hmm.
INDY: Being able to water
your plants from their roots instead
of from overhead just further reduces
the amount of evaporation,
and makes a stronger,
healthier plant.
STEPHANIE: Definitely want
to see this integrated more into
all of our neighborhoods' front
yards and things like that,
so I'm really excited.
INDY: You're actually, you
know, going out and changing how,
I mean, you're
shifting people's ways!
(laughter).
That's what it's all about.
HALEY: Yes.
STEPHANIE: This will be the
first year that we're gonna have
some peaches on
our peach tree.
INDY: Oh, yeah, I can
see the little baby peaches.
HALEY: Yeah.
There's a teenager right here.
(laughter).
INDY: Aww, little fuzzies.
We're right in the
middle of this suburban area,
and SOW Collective is
able to grow food here.
That's a lot different than
what this area used to be for.
For folks who want to turn
their yard into a micro-farm,
think it's really important to
just figure out what plants you
can grow in one square foot,
because you can grow corn,
and have beans
right beside it,
and then have watermelon
spreading underneath.
You don't have to go and
tear up your entire lawn.
You can start really small,
and see what you can grow in
a small area that
feels manageable.
STEPHANIE: I still
look at all of this and
it almost feels
like a fever dream,
'cause I'm, like, waking up
and I'm like, this is all fresh,
this is all something
I can eat and pick.
It's really empowered us and given us
some confidence to expand.
Like, we definitely want to
expand in a different area in
the valley as well, and
so that's another project
we're gonna take on.
MADISON: Mm-hmm.
INDY: Oh, wow.
MADISON: Yeah! There's a empty
lot in Reseda.
So it'll be
another SOW Collective
INDY: No way!
MADISON: On the
other side of the valley.
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
INDY: Congratulations,
that's so cool!
MADISON: Yeah. Yes.
STEPHANIE: Thank you.
INDY: That's awesome.
MADISON: I mean, there's so
many empty lots that are being unused
out there, it just takes
a little people power and
a dream to transform them.
So, that's what we're all
about here at Shift Our Ways.
INDY: I just think that the
work that the three of you are doing
is really inspiring and then
hearing that you're going out
and you're gonna keep continuing to
do this work in other places
and inspiring other people,
that is beautiful, I mean,
that's what
farming is all about.
It's about teaching
and empowering folks.
MADISON: Mm.
So thank you for that.
INDY: Yeah. Incredible.
(laughter)
You're awesome!
What I find most
inspiring about Maddie,
Haley and Stephanie is
they're not just committed to
the individuals that
comprise their community,
but they're also caring about
creating a space where everyone
is treated well, from the
individuals that they're in
community with, to
the smallest insects that
help make their farm grow.
MADISON: Thank you.
See you next time.
INDY: Bye, I'll
be back, for sure.
HALEY: Oh, yeah.
MADISON: Yeah, of course.
STEPHANIE: See
you next time.
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.
(rooster crows)
INDY: If you've ever
dreamed of owning a farm,
come with me.
PETE: Things are living and
things are growin' on a rooftop.
INDY: I'm Indy Officinalis.
I'm a farmer who loves
helping other farmers.
My passion for farming
started in my teens,
working on a homestead
in North Carolina,
and led me to
urban farming in LA.
I've worked on farms
from coast to coast,
but farming is hard work.
MAN: We've planted about
ten variety of fruit trees,
and they all died.
INDY: So, I'm traveling the
country to offer some hope.
Hi.
WOMAN: Indy.
INDY: Hey!
STEPHANIE: Oh,
my gosh, Indy.
INDY: Join me as I
transform farms on rooftops,
in backyards, warehouses.
This is insane!
And even out on the ocean.
Farm rescue on a boat ♪
INDY: On the way,
we'll get tips from
some of my
expert farmer friends.
WOMAN: This is so
awesome, I'm so excited!
INDY: Yeah.
INDY: Today, I'm
not far from home,
in California's
San Fernando Valley.
I'm meeting with the three
co-founders of a suburban farm,
to help get them
past the growing pains of
their two year old garden.
Knock, knock. Hi.
HALEY: Hi. Hello.
INDY: I'm Indy.
HALEY: Nice to meet you.
Haley. INDY: Nice to meet
HALEY: I'm so glad
that you can visit today.
INDY: I know. Hi.
MADISON: Hey.
INDY: Indy.
MADISON: Indy, I'm Maddie.
So good to meet you.
INDY: Yes, nice
to meet you. Yes.
MADISON: Welcome to
SOW Collective Backyard Farm.
And then back
here is Stephanie.
INDY: Hey.
STEPHANIE: Woo. Hi.
Hi, I'm Stephanie.
INDY: Indy.
Nice to finally meet you.
STEPHANIE: Nice to meet you.
INDY: This looks awesome.
I love this.
This is such a
cute little micro-farm.
HALEY: Yeah,
definitely our backyard farm.
Our micro-farm.
INDY: Cool. That's so neat.
STEPHANIE: We've been
wanting to really revamp this space up,
and we would love any help
that you can share with us.
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah.
You know, we're
only two years old,
so everything is
still kind of new to us,
and we've really put
things together, like, DIY,
as we go.
INDY: Mm. Mm-hmm.
MADISON: So we really
need someone to come in,
like yourself, and really
take it to the next level.
INDY: What is the
goal of this garden space?
Like, you're
feeding the community,
is that kind of what?
HALEY: Yeah, one
of the many goals.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
HALEY: Feeding people and
also just demonstrate to them that
they can do something
similar in their backyard.
We started SOW Collective
because we know that
sustainability is not
accessible to everyone,
and we wanna make it
accessible to everybody.
MADISON: So, people are
able to come to our neighborhood and
harvest themselves.
INDY: What? That's so cool.
MADISON: So
STEPHANIE: The
Backyard Farm,
which is what we
call our SOW Collective
was really from that idea
that you could have a farm
in your backyard, you could
have it in your neighborhood,
you could have it
in a very small space,
and it will still be important.
INDY: And so then how do
you have access to this land?
STEPHANIE: So, it's
owned by the neighbors here,
and so they're
able to rent it to us.
MADISON: We pay for the
water bill and the property tax.
INDY: That's so cool, and so
then what did this area look
like before you three
started growing food?
MADISON: Yeah, it
was just Bermuda grass.
INDY: Driving around LA, you
just see all these vacant lots
and you're like, how is
nobody growing food there, when,
when there are so many
food insecure neighborhoods.
I think it's
really important work.
You can tell that they've
put a lot of love into it,
and that space would
be completely empty if
it wasn't for
their collective vision.
Some of the plants in
this garden look healthy,
but in the blazing
hot California sun that
I'm all too familiar with,
others seem to be suffering.
Is this an irrigation line
that I'm seeing in here?
MADISON: Yes, it is. Our
irrigation is a little bit, um.
HALEY: DIY.
MADISON: DIY. Yeah.
INDY: Uh-huh.
MADISON: So, like, these
corner plants don't get enough water.
You can see this one's
drying out a little bit.
HALEY: Last summer, we
didn't had a good yield,
we lost all the crops
because of the heat.
So we would really want to
not repeat that this summer.
INDY: 'Kay, so you
have the spear heads,
so this isn't like a
drip line, you're not,
there's no holes in this.
MADISON: We need a
little revamp on that
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: So that we can have
more successful crops to feed more people.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: We've got some parsley
that has gotten to flower.
INDY: Nice. And they're
flowering and they're,
you know, inviting in more
community of pollinators.
Pollinators could be a key to
encouraging more crop growth,
and to attract
more pollinators,
this farm needs
more native plants.
STEPHANIE: And then we've
got some beets over here.
INDY: Oh!
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah, and
this one's actually ready,
if you'd like to harvest it.
INDY: Oh, my gosh, yes.
Our first beet of the winter.
Oh, man, this is a nice one.
MADISON: Oh, wow.
STEPHANIE: Oh. Oh, wow!
INDY: Wow. I love it.
MADISON: We should eat it.
INDY: Yeah?
MADISON: We can wash it
off at the hose and taste it.
INDY: I love that you all were like,
"Let's wash it off," like,
I'm such a weirdo that
I'm always just like
(grunts)
STEPHANIE: Little bionic,
right? INDY: Yeah, exactly.
Okay, yeah, let's wash
it off, let's be civilized.
MADISON: These
beets are all ready.
(laughs).
INDY: Yay.
MADISON: We also have blueberries
planted in the middle here.
INDY: I noticed that.
So blueberries are
kind of acid loving.
They like an acidic soil,
so I always add my
coffee grinds to blueberries.
STEPHANIE: Oh.
INDY: Yeah, and you
don't even have to, like,
let it fully compose,
you can just let it compose
straight into the bed.
HALEY: Good tip, good tip.
STEPHANIE: Pro tip, pro tip,
we're gonna have to try that.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: And then these
are really exciting,
barrels of potatoes.
It's so nice for people
to see how potatoes grow,
that they do produce a
green leafy part just like
any plant does,
because every, I don't know,
it's like when I was a kid,
I didn't really have access
to seeing how food grew,
and so I just thought potatoes,
I don't know, were just, like,
out in the field like rocks and
you just kinda
like picked 'em up.
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Pick 'em up, right?
INDY: And then you just
turned 'em into a French fry,
and there you go.
HALEY: Your snap your fingers,
it becomes a fry?
INDY: Yeah, exactly.
HALEY: Let's go eat a beets.
INDY: Yes. Yes, I almost
forgot I was holding it.
MADISON: Beet cheers.
(laughter).
INDY: Woo!
I don't think I've ever, like,
gnawed into one
raw like an apple,
but I, I'm down
to give it a try.
MADISON: Let's check it out.
INDY: Mm. Oh my gosh.
Look at the inside of mine.
MADISON: Whoa!
INDY: Yeah. This is so cool.
STEPHANIE: This is so good.
INDY: Mm, that flavor.
MADISON: I love this.
STEPHANIE: Wow. Okay.
INDY: Biting into
that beet, you know,
it was fun but it was a lot
different than just biting into
a beet that you might
get from the grocery store.
It was a lot more symbolic.
It had this
feeling of community.
There are people out there
trying to do really good work
in their neighborhoods.
STEPHANIE: I didn't know I
liked beets just like this,
but I can do it.
INDY: What made you realize
that you wanted to grow food?
HALEY: It's just
by being here.
You know, back home in, in China,
I didn't have this opportunity.
INDY: So this is
such a shift for you?
HALEY: It is! Like, we
don't have suburbs there.
I'm, I'm living in
apartment my whole life,
so this really is a
privilege to have this access
to this type of
environment here.
STEPHANIE: I think it's
also just like paying, like,
respect to kind of, like,
our backgrounds as well.
Like, we think about our
grandmothers when we're in
this space and we just
hope people feel that,
they feel that comfort when they come here.
INDY: Yeah. Did your grandmother
grow food growing up?
STEPHANIE: Yeah, my
grandma, she's from Mexico,
so I think when I
think about food,
I think about that hard
work that's put into it.
MADISON: My grandparents
were actually industrial farmers in
the Midwest, and they
didn't know back then that
synthetic pesticides and
fertilizers were actually
causing a lotta
damage to our environment.
And so, um, I learned
that first hand by growing up
on a river that was polluted
by agricultural runoff.
So I just wanted to do my part
in creating a better future.
INDY: The SOW Collective
Garden is adorable, but I'm interested
in how many people they can
really affect with a plot this size.
I would love to see, you know,
who's in this community and
MADISON: Yeah!
INDY: And what's going on.
MADISON: Let's go check it
out. INDY: Yeah?
Getting to know the area may give
me a better understanding of how I can
help the SOW Collective
reach more people.
STEPHANIE: So,
Arleta is really home to,
I would say, we have
kind of all demographics,
but prominently it
would be, like, Latinx,
it would be, um,
Asian American, Filipino.
HALEY: Yeah.
So really diverse, uh.
We know a lot of neighbors.
MADISON: They
will support us.
INDY: Hey.
MADISON: Hi. Hi.
HALEY: Hi.
Um, this is a middle class
neighborhood that, like,
it's been just historically
neglected by the city.
INDY: So, would you consider
this area a food desert?
Like, how, how close to grocery stores
are people that live here?
MADISON: Yeah, I've heard
it called before a food swamp.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
MADISON: When there's a
lot of fast food around.
That's, like, the easy option,
the convenient option.
So we're there to
flip that upside down,
bring in this
fresh space, organic farm.
INDY: Food sovereignty is
this concept that individuals within
their community can be
completely responsible for
sourcing their
own food, locally.
On the other side of
that is the term food swamp,
which refers to an area where
residents may struggle to find
affordable healthy food.
HALEY: You look at
the grocery stores,
they don't have a
lot of organic options,
so being here, being in
a walkable distance for
the neighbors is
very important to us.
INDY: What a cute neighborhood,
and I can really see how, like,
it's amazing that
this is on a corner, too.
It really has turned into, like,
the cornerstone of
food in this neighborhood.
The family and
emotional connection to this
garden runs deep, for
all three of these farmers.
What are some of the
things that you've faced in,
in growing food in this space?
MADISON: As you
can see at our farm,
there's not a
whole lotta shade.
(laughter)
Um, so the temperatures
in the heat of summer
get up past 110 degrees.
INDY: Oh, wow.
MADISON: And we have
this brick wall that just
radiates heat back
on to our plants,
and we can lose a
lot of our crops,
which in turn means we can't feed as many
people in our neighborhood.
HALEY: Yeah.
And also the irrigation.
INDY: Yeah.
Water access is such a huge
issue in Southern California.
HAILEY: Yes.
MADISON: We have to elevate this farm
so that we can grow
more food for our community.
INDY: It's amazing
what Haley, Maddie,
and Stephanie have been
able to do in two years.
But it's clear improvements need to be made.
Their irrigation
system is inefficient.
They don't have enough
pollinators to propagate
their crops, nor yields
to feed their community.
And worst of all, the plants
are roasting in the hot sun.
They're throwing a
two year anniversary party
in just a few days, and
my hope is to use the party
as a launchpad to
tackle these issues.
Now it's time for me to
rally some farmers to help
their fellow farmers, and
really get this garden growing.
HALEY: Thank you.
STEPHANIE: Thank you.
INDY: All right, bye!
MADISON: See you soon.
HALEY: See you soon.
STEPHANIE: Bye.
INDY: I'll be back.
SOW Collective is trying to
make their micro-farm thrive
in a concrete suburbia.
Others have
certainly come before them,
so I'm going to tap into the knowledge
of some nearby farmers.
I'm meeting with David Newsom
of The Wild Yards Project,
and his friend
Janet Valenzuela.
The Wild Yards Project is
a non-profit on a mission,
to convert grass lawns
into thriving habitats.
American lawns drink about
nine billion gallons
of fresh water a day,
and are responsible for
5% of total air pollution.
And if SOW Collective is
going to increase their crop yield,
they're going to need a
leg up from nature's helpers.
This feels like this is what
Earth is meant to look like.
INDY: This looks amazing!
DAVID: So, two
and a half years ago,
this was a lawn, and we
started planting native plants,
to show people what this
land is meant to look like,
so that we could invite as much
light back into the site as possible.
INDY: Wow.
DAVID: What you're also doing is creating
sanctuaries for native bees.
INDY: It's almost like they
have their own little metropolis.
One misconception is that
all bees are native to the US,
but there's actually a
shortage of native bees,
and so it's really important to
use plants that would naturally
be growing in the area,
to bring in pollinators,
that will in turn also help
pollinate some of the crops
that SOW Collective
is growing.
The California poppies
never cease to amaze.
There's some lupin here?
DAVID: Yep.
We have a royal lupin.
This is a one year old
California buckwheat,
and California buckwheat,
it probably has the greatest
pollinator appeal of almost
any plant in our ecosystem.
INDY: So this is like the
equivalent of a coral reef?
DAVID: Yeah. It is a,
it is a very powerful and
useful coral, and a
lot of people, you know,
don't show it
any love or respect
INDY: Aww.
DAVID: But this plant is
holding down our ecosystem.
JANET: Yeah. I mean, if you
bring anyone in the community
and they see something,
they're like, "What
can I use this for?"
That's often the question
that community members will ask,
and it's like we've always
had a symbiotic relationship
with plants, and so of course it's an
instinct in us to be like,
how can I use this plant,
what can this plant do for me
and what can I
do for the plant?
INDY: Whenever we
build a freeway, a house,
or even a farm, we disrupt the natural
flow of the native ecology.
Everything from plants, bugs,
and birds migrate from
one habitat to another.
What's essential to
their existence is how well
habitats connect
to one another.
Throughout the world,
urban communities have begun
to design and
maintain eco-corridors.
These human-helped arteries
of nature can be wildlife bridges
over highways so
animals can cross safely.
They can also be lawns,
patios, even tiny balconies,
that can be transformed with
the presence of specific plants
designed to lure and nurture
habitat wherever it's found.
Everything here
looks stunning, I,
I want to help my
friends at SOW Collective
do what you're doing,
and what do you recommend?
DAVID: So, black sage,
Cleveland sage, white sage.
JANET: Autumn sage.
DAVID: Um, California buckwheat.
INDY: Adding more native
plants to the SOW Collective space will
do wonders to balance
out their ecosystem,
boost the natural
pollination process,
and turn out more
yield from their crops.
I have another friend who's making
the most of a small space,
and I think he'll have
some ideas for how to combat
the blazing California sun.
ERIC: Hey. How's it goin'?
INDY: Hey!
ERIC: It's so nice to
have you, thanks for comin'.
INDY: Yes.
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: Can't wait
to check it out.
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: How have you been?
It is toasty.
ERIC: Good. It is.
It's a hot day, so a lotta,
a lotta taking care
of the plants today.
INDY: Eric
started out as a chef,
but found growing food
to be more rewarding.
He's been able to transform
his property into a thriving
backyard farm that supplies
local restaurants and markets.
ERIC: So, this area is kinda
like a transition into the farm,
so we trial some cut
flowers down here in crates and
then a bunch of native plants.
INDY: I love it.
ERIC: Yeah, so this is the farm.
INDY: Oh. This is awesome!
What?
I would never expect that all
of this food is growing back here.
ERIC: Yeah, it's a little unassuming
from the street, yeah,
just because of the hillside.
INDY: He's really
embraced his location,
and turned it into these
perfectly terraced rows and rows
and rows of green veggies.
Just, like, seeing how you're
workin' with the hillside,
you don't really see
that that much around here.
ERIC: Yeah, definitely.
INDY: Usually people
are farming on level land.
ERIC: It's kind of by
necessity in a lotta ways.
But let's head up the
hill and you can see kinda
the other areas of the farm.
INDY: Okay. Oh, carrots.
ERIC: Yeah. Carrots.
INDY: Those carrots are
pretty close to ready, yeah?
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: Wow.
Everything looks so
incredible from up here too.
It feels like.
This is where I feel like I
would hang out in every day.
How, how much space
did you say this was?
ERIC: Uh, with the kinda
house, it's, like, 1.2 acres.
INDY: Okay, yeah.
But I feel like, you know,
the average person doesn't need
1.2 acres to grow food for
themselves or their family.
ERIC: No. Right.
You can really kind of fit
a lot into a small space,
and so a lot of what we do
here is really applicable to
someone who's
growing at home.
INDY: I know that Eric
is no stranger to the heat,
so I'm just looking
around and trying to figure out
how he deals
with this direct sun.
My friends like I was
mentioning at SOW Collective,
they really want to
lower the temperature.
ERIC: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
INDY: Of their
farm, you know,
they're getting kind
of blasted with heat.
You could fry an egg
on their, on their soil.
ERIC: Right.
Well, actually, the thing
that we're doing is using, um,
shade cloth, and I could
show you on this bed here.
INDY: Nice.
ERIC: Um, so if you
want to take a few.
INDY: Yes.
ERIC: They're a little hot.
INDY: Oh. Oh.
ERIC: Yeah.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
INDY: They're really hot.
ERIC: It's a hot day.
INDY: I feel like this is
just further driving the point
home that it's really hot.
ERIC: It's very hot.
Yeah, I mean, that's interesting
about shade is, like,
underneath that
shade'll be 20 degrees cooler.
Pull them through
these three.
INDY: Cool.
ERIC: Yeah.
I'll hold this shade cloth
and you can roll it out.
INDY: Oh, yay.
(laughs)
ERIC: You can just pull.
INDY: Okay, cool.
ERIC: Yeah. There, out it
goes. INDY: Oh, fun.
I feel like we're
flying a kite together.
(laughs)
ERIC: And then, we'll
unfold it, up and over.
Yeah, perfect.
INDY: I was hoping we
would run under it, like,
in elementary school.
ERIC: You could
army crawl, maybe.
INDY: Yeah.
ERIC: You know?
When the plants, like, when they're
wilting in the afternoon sun, you know,
obviously it's
not gonna kill them,
but they stop photosynthesizing
during that period,
and they're actually using up
energy rather than creating it.
So especially
with, like, you know,
younger plants
that we transplant in,
the shade really helps
with transplant shock.
INDY: Nice, yeah.
Transplant shock.
I feel like I got transplant
shock when I moved to LA.
ERIC: I'm sure.
INDY: I like this
neat little row cover.
It feels like we
tucked them into bed
ERIC: Yeah.
INDY: And, like, now we
can play their lullaby.
Seemed like, you know,
such a simple solution to
making sure that your water
isn't evaporating straight out
of your garden beds as
fast as you can put it in.
And this is really accessible,
this is really easy for
the everyday person to use.
And you could physically put
your hand underneath and feel
how much cooler it was just
by adding that small structure.
Bye, lettuce.
With Eric's help, I've got a
great idea for how to handle
the shade problem
at SOW Collective.
But I still need to
tackle the irrigation problem,
and I think I
know just the place.
INDY: I'm on my
way to Pasadena,
to visit the
Urban Homestead farm.
Where three
siblings took over
their father's
37 year old backyard farm.
With the help of
interns and volunteers.
I think this
place is something like
what SOW Collective
is aspiring to be.
ANAIS: Good morning.
(gasps)
INDY: Hey.
ANAIS: Hey. How you doin'?
INDY: It's so nice to meet you
in person and see your garden,
this is stunning.
ANAIS: I am so glad
and the pansy's happy face
is greeting you as well.
INDY: Oh. Yes. Yes.
This is way more
than I imagined, like,
what you've done
in this small space.
ANAIS: Yeah, in
this small space.
That's what it's
supposed to be, small.
It can be
beautiful and productive,
and that's what
we're trying to show here.
So, let me show you around!
INDY: This is beautiful.
ANAIS: Yeah, thank you.
(sighs)
INDY: You're, you're one of
the only gardens that I've seen
that's just taken
over your front yard.
ANAIS: Yeah. So, front yard.
We transformed this from
typical urban front lawn.
INDY: Like grass and
ANAIS: Grass, in '89.
So, my dad was
very practical,
and it was a
drought at that time.
You know, California
struggles with drought,
and so if we have to water,
might as well water something
and then you know, the birds and
the bees and we benefit as well.
INDY: Exactly.
ANAIS: We're actually
regenerating the landscape by
changing over, you know,
the typical lawn.
INDY: Right. Show me
more ANAIS: Great!
INDY: I, I would love,
like, a little
ANAIS: Yeah, let's go meet
the rest of the family in the back.
INDY: Oh, okay.
This urban farm has the exact
same beginning as everyone else
in the neighborhood.
They're given the
exact same allotment,
but what the Urban Homestead
has done with their space is
just vastly different
than the folks around them.
You
JORDANNE: I'm Jordannne.
INDY: I'm Indy, nice to meet.
JUSTIN: Justin.
Nice to meet you.
INDY: Nice to meet you.
JORDANNE: Welcome.
INDY: This is incredible.
You're living in a dream.
(laughs)
INDY: So, so it went
from your, your dad?
ANAIS: Yeah, we're
second generation farmer.
INDY: No way!
ANAIS: Yeah, urban farmers.
Yeah. And you can see some
of the spaces that we transformed.
This were our
very first garden.
INDY: Oh, what?
Oh my gosh.
ANAIS: This is
back in the days. Yes.
INDY: Wow.
This is some real, like,
street cred, like,
you really were doing this
before anyone else was doing
the food not lawns.
JUSTIN: Yeah.
ANAIS: We've been
selling edible flowers and,
and produce for, to restaurants and
caterers since, like, '92.
JORDANNE: And, yeah, what makes it
successful is we all have our passions.
So together you know, I,
I love the animals, he's, like,
he can't stop planting plants.
And so, between.
JUSTIN: She
likes the flowers.
JORDANNE: She likes the
flowers, so putting all our passions
together has made it this,
like, little, you know,
micro-climate of amazing,
you know, production, so
INDY: You know, this is
really cool to see because
I have some friends who have
a pretty much a micro-farm,
and they are in their
first two years of farming.
JORDANNE: Hmm.
INDY: And so it's incredible
to see your first two years,
and how much
you can achieve.
They definitely
have a few kinks that
they're trying
to still work out.
ANAIS: Yeah. Even
mature farms have it too,
30 years later,
we still have problems.
JORDANNE: Years later,
INDY: Yeah. Yeah, so they're
getting just baked by the sun,
and they're having problems
with their irrigation system,
and on any farm,
water is, like,
one of the most
precious resources.
ANAIS: Right. Right.
INDY: So it's like, I want to
come up with some sort of way
for them to water all of their
plants without just standing out
there with a hose all day long.
ANAIS: Yeah, I think
we can help you, um
JORDANNE: We
have some ideas.
ANAIS: And we have
some ideas that, you know,
suggestions that we've
put into practice over
the years and we've done.
Yeah, let's go check it out.
INDY: Okay, yeah.
ANAIS: All right.
Well, come on through.
All right, Louis will
show you our urban farm.
INDY: Oh! This is amazing!
This is beautiful!
ANAIS: This is
our field of greens.
INDY: This is a dream.
Well, I, I can't believe
that this is back here.
Even though the
SOW Collective
are three friends
and not three siblings,
I could totally envision
them being really similar
in a few years, just growing food
and connecting with
their community
in the same way.
Just show me.
That kale is stunning.
ANAIS: So, lots of greens,
we have radishes, kales.
LOUIS: And we have
apple trees on the side.
We got our salad mix.
Some more lettuce.
INDY: Okay.
ANAIS: This is you know, from farm to
table is just a couple feet.
So, but yeah, our backyard is our
grocery store (inaudible).
So you can see here
we have our chickens.
INDY: No! Oh, my gosh.
ANAIS: They're taking
dust baths right here.
JORDANNE: Yeah, this is their
INDY: I love the dust baths.
JORDANNE: This is their
midday dust bath bathing spa day.
INDY: Aww.
ANAIS: I think Justin's gonna explain
about all the ollas, right?
JUSTIN: So here we are
our clay pots, our ollas.
INDY: Nice.
JUSTIN: This is how we
install our drift irrigation.
JORDANNE: Pay close
attention, it's very technical.
INDY: Oh, yeah.
What?
And then you fill
that up with the water?
JUSTIN: Yeah,
and plant around it.
INDY: And
JUSTIN: It's a
self-watering container now.
INDY: So, how is the
water getting out of
this clay pot into
the rest of the
JUSTIN: Yeah, it's
unglazed so it sweats.
INDY: I've seen a lot
of methods of irrigation,
but these clay pots or
ollas are eye-opening.
So olla is just the
Spanish word for clay pot.
JUSTIN: That's
basically what it is.
INDY: Okay, cool.
JORDANNE: Bottle.
JUSTIN: Yes.
INDY: It sounds so much
cooler when you call it an olla.
JUSTIN: Yes, a olla.
INDY: Yeah.
Clay pot irrigation dates back
thousands of years.
Remnants have been found
in ancient garden beds from
China to South America.
When soil is dry,
moisture from within
the pot is drawn out,
through the porous clay and
seeps through the soil evenly.
JUSTIN: So we got the ollas
here every couple of feet.
INDY: Wow.
These look awesome.
Ollas are simple and efficient.
When compared to
traditional watering,
they can save up to 70%.
And so the idea is
that because it's unglazed,
the water is just
able to seep out.
JUSTIN: So in
the summer time,
we'll fill it up more often,
obviously, 'cause it's hotter.
INDY: Okay.
JUSTIN: Winter time, um,
maybe every couple o' weeks.
INDY: So, what,
what is their, like,
you know, radius
for sweating the
JUSTIN: It would be
about two, two feet radius,
so diameter would be
one foot on each side.
So if you planted
this one, let's see here,
you know you got
a foot on this side,
and then next one
would be two feet down.
INDY: Wow.
JUSTIN: We've been
usin' them for 15, 20 years.
They're, like you said,
it's saved us a ton of water.
Our water bill for the
entire year's, like, $1,000.
INDY: Wow.
I can't wait to bring this idea
to my friends at SOW Collective,
because I think that this could help
solve a lot of their problems.
JORDANNE: All right guys,
sorry to interrupt,
we have a couple orders come in,
we have to get 'em picked for
the Chef Daphaline today.
INDY: No way.
Yeah, I can help you.
JORDANNE: Yeah. Absolutely.
INDY: I can give you a hand.
The Urban Homestead
is like a window into what
SOW Collective could be,
with decades of
experience behind them.
Their interns take home fresh
food and the farm donates over
10,000 pounds of food to
neighbors in need every year.
Absolutely inspiring.
Honestly, this has
been really helpful for me.
I feel like I can go back to
my friends at SOW Collective
and tell them about the ollas.
I think they're gonna
love that, like, that there's
this low tech way of
watering their garden
ANAIS: Yeah.
INDY: That's, like,
a light bulb moment.
ANAIS: And you're, you're
gonna take some ollas home with you.
INDY: No. Really?
ANAIS: Yes.
JORDANNE: Yeah.
ANAIS: You are, yes.
INDY: Aww.
ANAIS: So we
have some set aside!
INDY: What?
ANAIS: Yes.
INDY: Thank you.
That's super kind.
Oh gosh, awesome.
ANAIS: So
INDY: This is perfect.
I can, like, bring
this right over to them.
ANAIS: Right.
INDY: Bye, plants.
I'm gonna miss you.
Well, I'm just excited
to be able to go back to
SOW Collective and give
them this sense of hope.
Having just this notion that
there's folks out there doing
the exact same kind of work
that you're doing and succeeding,
and are still
passionate about it.
And they're still there,
they're still functioning,
they're still the cornerstone
of their community.
♪
INDY: When I get
back to SOW Collective,
the team is in full swing,
getting ready for their
two year anniversary party,
where some of my changes
will start to take shape.
And I can't attend a party
without bringing something.
STEPHANIE: Hey, Indy! Woo.
MADISON: Welcome back!
HALEY: Nice to see you!
INDY: Um, I do have something
that I want to show you.
Yeah, come, come
outside with me.
Yes, yes.
STEPHANIE: All right.
INDY: This way, this way.
STEPHANIE: Let's do it.
MADISON: Okay, let's do it.
INDY: David from Wild Yards
has brought a friend and a whole
bunch of gorgeous native
plants to donate to SOW Collective.
DAVID: This is Matthew
Burrows. MATTHEW: Hi.
DAVID: Owner of
Plant Material nursery.
WOMAN: Hi, Matthew!
MATTHEW: Hi, I'm Matt.
DAVID: He conspired with
Indy to get 'ya a little few more plants
for your pollinator garden.
MATTHEW: I brought some plants.
STEPHANIE: Oh, my gosh.
(gasps).
Ooh.
MADISON: Wow.
STEPHANIE: We love plants.
HALEY: Oh, you're sweet.
MATTHEW: Let's go
with the tried and true.
MADISON: Ooh.
STEPHANIE: Ooh. My sage.
INDY: These are
native California plants,
and so they'll not
only bring in pollinators,
but they'll also kind of
help remediate the soil.
STEPHANIE: Oh, those are beautiful
large plants already too.
DAVID: Well, we thought
you might appreciate too.
MATTHEW: Some of them
have some blooms comin' out.
MADISON: Yeah!
HALEY: Yeah!
INDY: I was hangin' out at,
um, David's spot where he's totally
transformed what would've otherwise
been just a grass yard area,
kind of like what the
lot looked like before,
before you guys
started planting.
There are hummingbirds
everywhere and butterflies.
I mean, it was just like this
whole community of pollinators.
MADISON: Oh, what's that?
STEPHANIE: Pretty.
INDY: This? Yes, you
have to take this out.
STEPHANIE: What is this one?
MATTHEW: Tell 'em about that.
DAVID: Yeah. This
is apricot mallow.
This is our
indigenous mallow.
MADISON: Aww.
STEPHANIE: Apricot mallow.
DAVID: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: It's gorgeous.
DAVID: We'll really like it
out in the hot and dry out here.
MADISON: Perfect.
DAVID: Big bee magnet.
You'll get all kinds of
native bees on this plant.
MADISON: Awesome.
STEPHANIE: I'm, like, I want
to hug it 'cause it's so beautiful.
DAVID: Yeah.
(laughter).
Makes a nice big basket,
and loves the heat.
This is bladder pod, which
has the funniest name in the world.
MADISON: Ah.
DAVID: Huge pollinator plant,
hummingbirds love it.
All the native bees love it.
Everybody likes it.
(cheering).
STEPHANIE: Awesome.
Sweet. DAVID: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: We're gonna get some
hummingbirds over here?
Very rare for us.
DAVID: If you plant them,
they will come.
Am I right?
STEPHANIE: Absolutely.
I love it.
DAVID: So, if you cut
this down, you get that flow,
and the bees that come to
this will more easily and
intuitively go
right into your
HALEY: Yeah.
DAVID: Your
flowers of the edibles.
So, you'll get more pollination.
HALEY: Thank you for doing
this. STEPHANIE: Thank you.
MATTHEW: You're very welcome.
MADISON: Thank you.
MATTHEW: Thank you guys.
INDY: Thanks, guys.
DAVID: Have fun.
INDY: We'll get these beautiful new plants
into the ground on
both sides of the hedge later.
Now, I've brought one
more surprise to the party.
Well, I have a local friend named Brittany
who's an incredible artist,
and she agreed to come do an interactive
mural painting session
during the SOW
Collective party,
and so I think that this is a
great way to just bring in folks
and make them feel
like a part of the farm.
BRITTANY: So I've basically
just laid the sketch and I'm excited
to paint with
the community later.
MADISON: Ah.
INDY: Thank you so much,
Brittany, you're awesome.
I knew she would
be perfect for this.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: And this light color is going to be so
much better for this wall.
You're not gonna get all,
you're not gonna get everything
blasted by the sun again.
MADISON: Exactly!
It's gonna tame down the
heat, the plants will be able to hang
out around all
this beautiful art.
INDY: Yeah. And this is
great advertising for you guys.
It's such a selfie moment.
MADISON: It is, and it has a
great meaning behind it because
that's what we stand for, is
moving into a direction that's
more sustainable and more
inclusive for all cultures.
Thank you so much,
Brittany, for being here.
BRITTANY: Thank you for
having me, I'm so excited.
MADISON: Yeah! Woo.
So let's get to the party.
INDY: Yes!
I will help you drink a neat.
MADISON: Thanks. Woo!
INDY: Yes.
♪
STEPHANIE: Thank you so much for
coming and thank you to our donors.
(applause)
MADISON: Enjoy the day!
(overlapping chatter)
INDY: It was awesome seeing
the community come together,
celebrating two years
of SOW Collective.
Now, it's time to
roll up our sleeves and
start summoning
some birds and bugs.
If you bring in
these native plants,
then you're gonna have more of the local
native pollinators coming in.
And so creating a habitat of
these local pollinators is gonna
increase your crop yields,
and it's also just nice.
I mean, it's, who doesn't want
to see butterflies and moths and
bees and hummingbirds
hanging out in their garden?
MADISON: We're all
about inviting the bugs in.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: The more,
the merrier.
INDY: Let's get to work.
MADISON: All right, let's do it.
HALEY: Right. Do it.
MADISON: This is so exciting,
I love planting natives 'cause
you know they're gonna
be there for years to come.
INDY: Yeah, they're gonna do
so well and they won't require as
much water as you know,
non-native crops because
they're very drought tolerant.
STEPHANIE: Let's
dig some holes.
INDY: Yeah.
HALEY: More diggin'.
I feel like people are lacking opportunities
to work with their hands.
I feel like with
your imagination,
you need to exercise it.
Like, if you don't put effort
long time, you lose that.
INDY: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Lookin' really
deep, should we, do we add water?
INDY: You want to pop
this baby out and stick it in?
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Sure.
Are we massagin'
the roots a little bit?
HALEY: Just a little bit.
INDY: Get it, get it,
shake it, shake it.
STEPHANIE:
Yeah. Little wiggle.
INDY: With some
of its native soil.
HALEY: Live
long and prosper.
MADISON: Ooh. Ah.
(laughter).
HALEY: Wait,
this is really deep.
MADISON: Oh, it's beautiful.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: Oh, that's awesome.
MADISON: Woo.
INDY: This looks great,
but guess what.
I have other stuff
to show you guys.
MADISON: All right.
INDY: Yeah.
MADISON: More presents?
STEPHANIE: Oh,
my gosh. Indy.
♪
INDY: We have solutions underway to
help bring in native pollinators and address
the heat radiating
off the brick wall.
Now it's time to
tackle the issue of shade,
and luckily, Stephanie's
friend Oscar is a contractor.
OSCAR: So this whole
site is gonna be shaded,
and then at the end we'll put a
big one at the end, a 16 by 16.
STEPHANIE: Beautiful.
MAN: Plants sure need it.
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
MADISON: Yeah. Thank you.
OSCAR: Not only
the plants, so do we.
MADISON: This is awesome.
(laughter).
INDY: All right, well, yeah,
let's get to work.
OSCAR: We're gonna lift up
this post and put in the hole.
INDY: Yeah.
OSCAR: It's a little heavy and then we're
just gonna try to center it.
INDY: Okay.
I was visiting my
friends at Avenue 33,
which is a, also
a local urban farm,
and I realized that a
shade structure would
really help cool
down this area.
It's not easy working
in full sun like that.
You know, it's hot, it's dry,
but I know that their community
is really invested in
seeing this farm succeed.
MAN: We'll show you
real quick this side now.
It is nice and level.
OSCAR: Yeah.
INDY: Wait, this is braced, do
I need to hold this in anymore?
MAN: This is braced.
OSCAR: You're good.
MAN: This side as well.
OSCAR: Yeah.
And then when we
pour the concrete,
it's not going anywhere.
INDY: With the construction
of the shade post well on its way,
it's now time to focus on
SOW Collective's
irrigation system.
So, these are called ollas, so
it's just Spanish for clay pot,
but this works in a similar way than the
irrigation system would work.
HALEY: Oh.
STEPHANIE: Mm-hmm.
INDY: They actually seep
water out into the garden.
MADISON: Amazing.
HALEY: And it's really smart.
INDY: Yeah.
So this is not as you can tell
any kind of modern invention,
they've been using this in
North Africa and West Africa and
Burkina Faso, and certain parts of China
for over 4,000 years to water gardens
MADISON: Oh, my gosh.
That's so special.
INDY: Which is super cool.
I know, I love it.
So for a bed this size, we
could probably do two or three.
HALEY: They're really cute.
INDY: So then it's a
lot easier as you know than
installing a drip
irrigation system.
HALEY: That's so special.
STEPHANIE: Oh, my gosh.
MADISON: Thank you.
INDY: Yeah.
I can't wait to
show you how they work.
While Maddie and Stephanie help
Oscar out with the shade structures,
Haley and I will
find a home for these ollas.
HALEY: It takes, like,
two feet, right?
INDY: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
HALEY: Covers
I mean, how about here?
We have some space right here,
we wanted to grow
more towards the middle.
INDY: Right, yeah.
It doesn't have to be
right in a garden bed.
Each olla can water up
to two feet in diameter,
and the team decides to
sink some native plants around
this one once it's buried.
So we're gonna make the
hole go as high as the base of this.
So we're gonna
leave this exposed.
HALEY: Okay.
I just feel like this is
so cute, like, it's so round.
INDY: It is really cute.
HALEY: I know, and I don't
know, I just really have a soft spot
for clever low-tech,
but, you know, like,
strategies that leverages
what nature already does.
INDY: It's, like, interesting to think
that both of our ancestors,
even though they were
living on different continents,
were using ollas.
HALEY: Absolutely. I know.
INDY: And
And now we're using it and you're still
passionate about growing food.
HALEY: That's crazy.
I know. I know.
I'm happy to, yeah, find this connection
with my ancestor here it
INDY: So, you said
you grew up in China.
When did you move here?
HALEY: I moved here
when I was 16 in 2017.
INDY: No way, that's wild.
HALEY: So, it's been hard.
You know, different foods,
different cultures.
You know, one of
the hardest thing,
it's just very hard
to meet new people.
INDY: Mm-hmm.
HALEY: Um, because,
yeah, it's a suburb,
everybody's kinda confined
in their single family houses,
I mean, which is feeding to
part of the reason why I'm seem
so in love with this idea,
'cause it's a space to bring
people together, that did not previously
exist in this neighborhood.
INDY: Absolutely. Yeah.
HALEY: This is so neat.
INDY: Yeah.
It looks cute, doesn't it?
HALEY: I know.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's magical.
Now we pour water in it?
INDY: Yes. Exactly,
now we pour water in it.
HALEY: Okay.
Olla in, that was not that hard.
INDY: Right? I know,
it was really simple.
It's really their stories
that make me realize a lot of
how I felt when I
started growing food.
That access to food,
or lack thereof,
really shaped how she
views growing food now.
Then, like, her getting
excited about plants made
me excited about plants.
HALEY: I love it.
STEPHANIE: Hey, ladies,
what are you guys up to?
INDY: Hey.
HALEY: Hey. This baby's in.
STEPHANIE: Ooh.
That's so crazy,
you can barely see it.
INDY: Right?
With the olla planted,
the SOW Collective farmers
surround it with four
plants that will drink from it.
There's more to do, but I'm
heading out with the knowledge
that they're on the right path.
And I'll be back soon to
check on how things are going.
STEPHANIE: Yeah, we can't
wait till you visit us again
so you can see the
finishing results.
INDY: Yeah.
HALEY: Give us, like, a month, and
we'll finish irrigation, everything, yeah.
INDY: Yeah. Of course.
MADISON: See you next time. Woo.
INDY: I know, I know.
I can't believe I'm leaving.
With these simple
low-tech solutions,
SOW Collective should
start immediately seeing
big improvements
to their crops.
I can't wait to see if
our changes have worked.
INDY: It's been two months
and summer is fast approaching
in Southern California.
I'm anxious to see how the
SOW Collective is getting on
with some of the issues
affecting their farm.
Their imperfect
irrigation system,
low crop yields, and
their battle against
the blazing hot sun.
Hi. How's it goin'?
HALEY: Hi, it's Indy!
INDY: So good to see you.
How have you been?
It's so good to see you.
MADISON: Woo. Welcome!
INDY: Thank you.
MADISON: We've missed you.
INDY: I've missed you guys.
STEPHANIE: Hello, hello.
INDY: Hi.
STEPHANIE: Welcome!
INDY: This is beautiful.
When I was here last, there
were a few plants here and there.
But everything is in full
bloom and it's really healthy.
So there's vibrant green.
And then, my eyes immediately move to the shade.
There's shade.
Oh, my gosh.
This looks so good.
I mean, it's crazy you can
see such a huge difference,
even just on the
ground between
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
HALEY: Yeah.
INDY: Where it's
sunny and shade.
I want to go stand
under there.
HALEY: Same. Same.
MADISON: It's
such a hot day, and
INDY: It's such a hot day.
MADISON: Not only for
ourselves, but for our plants.
INDY: Wow.
MADISON: So the shade has really
helped us have a successful crop of peppers.
INDY: That's so cool.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: Wow, you can
seriously see a huge difference.
MADISON: Yeah.
These are just lush,
and thriving,
so this is gonna be a higher yield to
feed our neighbors with.
INDY: That's so awesome.
You guys really
just made it work.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: This looks incredible!
I'm so excited,
I want to feel the soil.
MADISON: Yeah!
(laughter).
INDY: Like, let me touch it.
So, the shade structures that
we put in have really helped
mitigate water evaporation.
Now, the water is staying
where it needs to be, in the soil.
Oh, my gosh, the
finished mural.
This looks so good.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: It turned out
really nicely, and just, like,
having these soft colors
back here really, like,
brightens it up.
MADISON: We're so
grateful for Brittany.
INDY: How are the
pollinators doing?
MADISON: Variety.
INDY: Ah!
HALEY: They're doing great.
INDY: They look awesome.
STEPHANIE: Definitely seen,
like, more butterflies.
MADISON: And I think because we also
trimmed these hedges lower.
INDY: That's so cool,
you've created like
this little pollinator highway.
MADISON: Yeah.
STEPHANIE: Yay, I love that.
INDY: And there's
a pollinator now.
MADISON: Yep.
INDY: Aww!
(laughter).
MADISON: They
frequent here often.
INDY: That's so incredible.
MADISON: Yeah.
INDY: David Newsom at Wild
Yards suggested that they cut their
hedges and turn this
area into an eco-corridor,
where butterflies and moths
and ladybugs are able to come in
and thrive, and I think it's
incredible to see how these
three ladies have just
taken that information and
made it their own.
Oh, I see one of the ollas too.
STEPHANIE: Just the
top of it buried there.
INDY: Oh, my gosh.
How have the ollas
been working out?
STEPHANIE: We don't hand
water this section at all,
so they are just
doing their thing.
We'll probably
have to get some more.
INDY: Yeah, it's super moist here and
you guys aren't hand watering this.
HALEY: They're doing their
part to keep our water bills down.
STEPHANIE: Mm-hmm.
INDY: Being able to water
your plants from their roots instead
of from overhead just further reduces
the amount of evaporation,
and makes a stronger,
healthier plant.
STEPHANIE: Definitely want
to see this integrated more into
all of our neighborhoods' front
yards and things like that,
so I'm really excited.
INDY: You're actually, you
know, going out and changing how,
I mean, you're
shifting people's ways!
(laughter).
That's what it's all about.
HALEY: Yes.
STEPHANIE: This will be the
first year that we're gonna have
some peaches on
our peach tree.
INDY: Oh, yeah, I can
see the little baby peaches.
HALEY: Yeah.
There's a teenager right here.
(laughter).
INDY: Aww, little fuzzies.
We're right in the
middle of this suburban area,
and SOW Collective is
able to grow food here.
That's a lot different than
what this area used to be for.
For folks who want to turn
their yard into a micro-farm,
think it's really important to
just figure out what plants you
can grow in one square foot,
because you can grow corn,
and have beans
right beside it,
and then have watermelon
spreading underneath.
You don't have to go and
tear up your entire lawn.
You can start really small,
and see what you can grow in
a small area that
feels manageable.
STEPHANIE: I still
look at all of this and
it almost feels
like a fever dream,
'cause I'm, like, waking up
and I'm like, this is all fresh,
this is all something
I can eat and pick.
It's really empowered us and given us
some confidence to expand.
Like, we definitely want to
expand in a different area in
the valley as well, and
so that's another project
we're gonna take on.
MADISON: Mm-hmm.
INDY: Oh, wow.
MADISON: Yeah! There's a empty
lot in Reseda.
So it'll be
another SOW Collective
INDY: No way!
MADISON: On the
other side of the valley.
STEPHANIE: Yeah.
INDY: Congratulations,
that's so cool!
MADISON: Yeah. Yes.
STEPHANIE: Thank you.
INDY: That's awesome.
MADISON: I mean, there's so
many empty lots that are being unused
out there, it just takes
a little people power and
a dream to transform them.
So, that's what we're all
about here at Shift Our Ways.
INDY: I just think that the
work that the three of you are doing
is really inspiring and then
hearing that you're going out
and you're gonna keep continuing to
do this work in other places
and inspiring other people,
that is beautiful, I mean,
that's what
farming is all about.
It's about teaching
and empowering folks.
MADISON: Mm.
So thank you for that.
INDY: Yeah. Incredible.
(laughter)
You're awesome!
What I find most
inspiring about Maddie,
Haley and Stephanie is
they're not just committed to
the individuals that
comprise their community,
but they're also caring about
creating a space where everyone
is treated well, from the
individuals that they're in
community with, to
the smallest insects that
help make their farm grow.
MADISON: Thank you.
See you next time.
INDY: Bye, I'll
be back, for sure.
HALEY: Oh, yeah.
MADISON: Yeah, of course.
STEPHANIE: See
you next time.
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.