PRess
BRIDGING CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND FOOD JUSTICE AT ALMA BACKYARD FARMS
JANUARY 21, 2026
SEEDS OF HOPE FOR OUR BROKEN FOOD SYSTEM
JANUARY 3, 202
FORBES: HOW ALMA BACKYARD FARMS CULTIVATES FOOD, JOBS AND DIGNITY IN COMPTON
NOVEMBER 13, 2025
Co-Founders of ALMA Backyard Farms Named eighth rams playmakers of 2025
OCTOBER 15, 2025
THESE LA BACKYARD FARMS COULD HELP REMAKE THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM
SEPTEMBER 25, 2025
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March 2, 2025
In the concrete jungle of Compton, a garden emerges. It's a place where the formerly incarcerated can use their hands to help and where we can all come together as a community. Erica Olsen reports.
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November 23, 2024
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August 9, 2024
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August 2024
A growing movement of urban farmers and activists are planting seeds of change in their South Los Angeles community. What happens next depends on a disease that does not discriminate and a diet that does.
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June 29, 2024
The promise held by greening America's cities presents the opportunity to fight the climate crisis while also revitalizing communities of color struggling from decades of economic and environmental despair. It's time to green the block! This series takes place in Los Angeles, one of America's most polluted cities. It engages on environmental justice issues and solutions for communities of color to own their land, take care of it, and leave it in a better place for future generations. Much of that work involves advocating for policies that do not bring harm to communities of color, shutting down facilities in our community that contribute to air pollution or training facilities that empower law enforcement to be more aggressive with police violence. Directed by Antonio Hernandez, the film explores dialogue and advocacy supporting the development of new community green spaces and education and narrative creation around community-owned revitalization, economic development, and climate resilience efforts that result in healthy, thriving communities of color across Los Angeles. Part 1 of our series features Professor Manuel Pastor, director of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California, and Richard Garcia, the executive director and co-founder of Alma Backyard Farms. Together, Pastor and Garcia illustrate why our communities not only reserve the right to benefit from its revitalization, we have the access to resources to achieve it. This project was filmed by Hip Hop Caucus, with support from Bezos Earth Fund’s Greening America’s Cities initiative.
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On May 30, 2024, ALMA hosted Community Partners for a celebration and grantee peer learning event of 46 food justice organizations awarded grants totaling $9.8 million and serving throughout Los Angeles County.
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June 5, 2024
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May 31, 2024
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April 29, 2024
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April 11, 2024
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February 29, 2024
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February, 2024
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November, 2023
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September 29, 2023
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September 6, 2023
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September 5, 2023
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July 5, 2023
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March 2, 2023
DOWNLOAD
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February, 2023
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January 21, 2023
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October 15, 2022
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March 24, 2022
PBS SoCal wrote a feature on ALMA's Peas in a Pod program. Henry Barjas writes about how ALMA teaches kids about Urban Farming.
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March 4, 2022
PBS SoCal included ALMA on their list of places for families to visit in Compton.
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January 18, 2022
ALMA Backyard Farms is an urban farm in Compton, CA, founded by two LMU alumni, Erika L. Cuellar and Richard D. Garcia, that focuses on restorative justice and environmental stewardship. Have you ever wondered what a chocolate lightning tomato tasted like?
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December, 2021
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September 30, 2021
Jennifer Marquez discusses ALMA's opening in San Pedro with Co-founder, Richard D. Garcia.
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October 1, 2022
Spectrum News shows viewers around ALMA's Compton farm site and discusses the mission with the ALMA team.
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June 3, 2021
Spectrum News shows viewers around ALMA's Compton farm site and discusses the mission with the ALMA team.
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December 21, 2020
The Food and Faith Podcast brings together voices of hope who are working for a world of organic connections. On this episode, ALMA's Co-founders, Erika L. Cuellar and Richard D. Garcia partake in a conversation from the soil and around the table.
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December 18, 2020
KCRW provides listeners with local news, public health information, music for your spirit, and cultural connection. ALMA's Co-founder, Richard D. Garcia, discusses farming with youth and the formerly incarcerated to feed the community.
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December 11, 2020
ABC News covers the history of agriculture in Los Angeles and features our urban farm in Compton.
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December 3, 2020
Hosted by Amplify RJ founder David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris, Restorative Justice Practitioners, Circle Keepers, and others discuss how they bring Restorative Justice philosophy, practices, and values into their personal and professional lives.
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November 11, 2020
America has a wellness problem. Wellness requires rest, clean water, movement, community, care, and nutrition—things that have become privileges, when they really should be rights. In this episode, Alma's social enterprise associate, Luis Mota, discusses how he is dedicated to bringing wellness to his community.
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October 21, 2020
How food sovereignty and resilient food systems put the future in our own hands.
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August 2, 2020
Selena teams up with the godfather of the modern food truck movement, Roy Choi, to make some dangerously delicious Korean BBQ breakfast tacos. At the end of the episode, ALMA gets recognized for its work! Episode 4 is available on HBO Max. Free trial available.
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August 14, 2020
Mercy For Animals is dedicated to eradicating our cruel food system and replacing it with one that is not just kind to animals but essential for the future of our planet and all who share it. Check out this feature they included of ALMA.
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July 1, 2020
In this episode, we talk to Richard Garcia, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Alma Backyard Farms, about his calling to work with communities and formerly incarcerated people to set up urban gardens.
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May 10, 2020
Los propietarios de ALMA prepararon cerca de 200 bolsas repletas de alimentos frescos que fueron entregadas a las familias más necesitadas del área
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May 10, 2020
A unique Mother's Day giveaway lifted spirits on Sunday in Rancho Dominguez, where a ALMA provided those special someones with much-needed appreciation.
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May 8, 2020
Alma Backyard Farms les da una segunda oportunidad a través del trabajo en la tierra
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May 7, 2020
Richard D. Garcia, Co-founder and Executive Director of ALMA speaks with Madeleine Brand of KCRW's Press Play about the role local farms are playing during the coronavirus pandemic.
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November 7, 2020
To capture the essence of Natural American Goodness, Mountain Valley Spring Water visited with ALMA and one of our chef partners, Steve Samson of Rossoblu.
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September 3, 2019
VoyageLA is a group of magazines that publishes interviews with local community members, businesses, organizations, and artists.
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June 12, 2019
KCET, a producer of award-winning and diverse original content for public media, and Tastemade, a global media company creating premium video programming in the food, travel and home verticals, premiered a new multi-media series BROKENBREAD, hosted by restaurant entrepreneur, social activist and acclaimed chef Roy Choi. In episode 5, WASTE: Recovery & Possibility, Roy Choi visits ALMA.
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December 1, 2017
We are thrilled to have a cameo on the second season of Life & Thyme's The Migrant Kitchen. The episode features Chef Diep of Good Dinette, a chef who sources seasonal veggies from our urban farms.
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April 26, 2017
Q & A: Can urban farming combat food waste? Chatting with the founders of Alma Backyard Farms
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April 17, 2017
“What happens here…it’s church.”
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June 8, 2015
For this week's arts and culture column, I interviewed Erika Cuellar and Richard Garcia, the amazing duo who head up the East L.A. non-profit Alma Backyard Farms.
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June 5, 2015
“Re-claim lives. Re-purpose land. Re-imagine community.” That’s the motto of Alma Backyard Farms, an East L.A. non-profit that teaches recently released prisoners to grow, harvest and market local produce.