The petition
We the undersigned stand in solidarity with the Hmong Gardeners of Fresno, California.
We ask that the city council of Fresno designate another location for their proposed Police Substation.
We ask that the 4-acre Hmong Garden be protected from further development and designated as a food sovereign landmark for Fresno.
We understand and acknowledge that a healthy, food secure communities are safe communities.
Facts
1. The garden is 13 years old
2. The land was purchased with a community development block grant to serve as a community park
3. The gardens total 4 acres
4. The gardeners feed an estimated 300 people
5. The gardeners are primarily Hmong Elders
6. The land is going to be developed into a police substation
7. There are other locations for the station on the table
Background
The City of Fresno is trying to push elderly Hmong Gardeners of abandon city land (bought with a community development block grant in 1995) to build a police substation. The land currently feeds 300 people. The city plans on removing the gardeners by the end of the year in order to begin construction of the police station at the beginning of the year. Various city council members have proposed to move the gardeners to land 1/8 size across town. We don't want to see this turn into another South Central Farm, a productive community space turned into a parking lot.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Central_Farm)
This garden is a vibrant example of sustainable, community based, local food production. The land serves as an open green space, an outdoor community center, and an urban farm. This land is as an oasis in the urban food desert and should be held up as a brilliant example of a localized food production in a culturally appropriate fashion. This space should be replicated and not removed.
Therefore we ask the City Council of Fresno to make a commitment to Food Justice by securing tenure of this productive piece of land for use by the Hmong Gardeners and other city gardeners of City of Fresno.
This petition will be sent to the city council of Fresno by Nov. 24th, 2008
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