Farm Lot 59

Farm Lot 59 is a woman-led nonprofit urban farm and community space in Long Beach. We provide fresh produce to food-insecure Long Beach residents, educate our community about organic farming, and advocate for equitable food policies. We also sell fresh, locally grown flowers that bring beauty to our community while supporting the farms' critical programming.

Farm to Food Bank program

The City of Long Beach identified west, central, and north Long Beach as food deserts—low-income communities with limited access to fresh, healthy food. Farm Lot 59 is dedicated to bringing healthy, nutrient-rich food to these communities. 

Each week, with the help of interns and volunteers, we plant, harvest, wash, and pack seasonal, organic produce (including bok choi, squash, tomatoes, peppers, kale, eggplant, okra, oranges, guava, pomegranates, rosemary, basil, thyme, lemongrass, mint, and more). We then partner with Food Finders to distribute the produce to local food banks. 

The Farm to Food Bank Program reaches approximately 2,000 people per year, particularly targeting low-income and fixed-income elderly residents, multi-generational families, veterans, and students. This includes residents of the American Gold Star Manor senior housing facility, formerly unhoused veterans served by U.S. Vets, students from LBCC, and the broader community. 

In 2024, we ran a weekly Community Food Hub, in partnership with Food Finders, which served more than 825 households and more than 5,000 people. 

Educational programs

Each year, we host thousands of community members for our low- or no-cost educational programming, where adults and youth learn about sustainable agriculture and organic gardening. By teaching community members how to grow their own food,  we are reducing food insecurity, creating local food systems, and nurturing our local environment. 

We especially love working with youth! For example, our Long Beach Youth Farmer program gives middle and high school students an opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn how to grow food.

The flower shops

At Farm Lot 59, we grow, harvest, and sell fresh, beautiful bouquets. Flower sales support the farm, our Farm to Food Bank program, and other community initiatives. Come visit our Farmstand flower shop in Long Beach.

Advocacy

Farm Lot is a proud advocate for equitable, progressive local food policies. We were instrumental in the adoption of AB 551, a California state bill that allows cities to offer tax breaks to landowners who convert vacant or underutilized land into urban farms. We also successfully advocated for modernizing Long Beach’s outdated agriculture ordinance.