LA county to 350 family farm: move out by monday, we need to build a Wal*Mart

[eldad9]

In L.A.’s Havana Experiment FTW told you the dramatic and compelling story of what 350 families have done over a 13-year period with a 14 acre plot of land in a depressed inner city. They are feeding themselves with organically grown and healthy produce that requires zero fossil-fuel inputs and requires virtually no transportation expense. This is being done on soil that was once paved, covered, depleted and ignored. More than anything else, this is the one area of effort most essential for America’s (and the world’s) major cities to pursue as Peak Oil takes its first deadly bites.

Two days ago the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department unceremoniously posted an eviction notice on the farm’s gate calling for the farm to be vacated by March 6th (next Monday). That would leave current crops in the ground to be plowed under by a developer’s bulldozers. The intended replacement for the farm is a warehouse intended to serve (primarily) Wal-Mart.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/030306_scf_eviction.shtml
http://www.southcentralfarmers.com/

[JimmieMac]

It's not their land.

Sucks and it shouldn't be that way but, fact remains, it's not theirs.

[zionoverfire]

It's not their land.

Sucks and it shouldn't be that way but, fact remains, it's not theirs.

Exactly, property rights are the basis of capitalism.

[Graystone]

I agree thats its not their land. However due to the fact that its going to be a walmart I say that we fight it.

[radjago]

Walmart recently tried to do something similar near a small town here.

1999-03-24
Yellow Springs, OH. They bought the farm.

Want to keep sprawl out of your community? Do like the folks in Yellow Springs did: buy the farm. When the town wanted to protect itself from sprawling development, they got organized and bought up 930 acres of farmland at an auction that could have led instead to some revolting developments. When residents learned that the Whitehall Farm north of town was on the auction block, they raised $3.2 million and bought the farm. The town came up with $400,000 from a special green-space fund, and many small fund-raising events were organized to move towards the goal. Residents raised a total of $600,000, combined with town money, bringing the total to $1 million. But the real salvation came in the form of 2 lawyers in town who lived next door to the farm. David and Sharon Neuhardt agreed to buy the whole farm for conservation, using a combination of their own money, the town's money, and a bank loan. In exchange for the $1 million from the town, the Neuhardt's agreed to give up development rights to the property. They plan to resell about 60% of the land to farmers, and lease some of the remainder for farming and other non-developmental uses.

[VanillaGorilla]

I agree thats its not their land. However due to the fact that its going to be a walmart I say that we fight it.
Oh? But if it was a KMart or Target, you would just let it slide? Tough break for them, but that's what happens when you rent.

[alonzomourning23]

Oh? But if it was a KMart or Target, you would just let it slide? Tough break for them, but that's what happens when you rent.

I don't think anyone is saying that. Though many hold special animosity towards walmart. If it was target it would be "they're taking the farmland!" but, since it's walmart, it's "that evil corporation is taking the farmland!".

[Apossum]

has nothing to do with the company, it's just that wal-mart is always at the heart of these kinds of controversies. everyone is well aware that all corporations are pretty much evil, wal-mart just happens to be especially deceptive.

[Spacepest]

I agree thats its not their land. However due to the fact that its going to be a walmart I say that we fight it.


Hmm, I'm not sure which is worse...letting these hippies squat on this land or giving it over to Walmart...makes you wonder, which is the lesser of the two evils?