Please Help Us Save Ron Finley's "Gangsta Gardener" Project & Headquarters in South Central Los Angeles

Hello everyone,

In case we’ve never met, I’m John Foraker, President at Annie’s. To those of you who I know, I really appreciate your attention to my note below. I am writing to all of you as friends and collaborators today on an urgent issue that I feel strongly about – so strongly, that I’m personally contributing and encouraging my family and friends to do the same.

If you don’t know who Ron Finley is, today is the perfect day to “meet” and help him. Ron is the man behind the South Central Los Angeles based Ron Finley Project, which desperately needs our help. Ron is at risk of being evicted and losing his property and garden and he needs us to help raise money right away.

Quick background: In 2010, Finley was determined to change LA from a food desert to a food forest. He decided to take his health and the health of his LA community into his own hands and “Plant Some Shit,” turning a strip of city-owned land in front of his property into a food oasis. After a citation, fine and eventual warrant for Finley’s arrest over the grass that he transformed into an edible landscape for his community, word spread quickly about the “Gangsta Gardener,” sparking a global food justice movement.

We at Annie’s consider Ron’s project to be one of the most important and impactful community food & farm projects that the country has ever seen, given the outsized role it has played in raising awareness about food deserts, healthy food choices for kids, inner city social justice issues, etc. Ron’s 2013 TedTalk has inspired millions – including myself and our team here in Berkeley. This project is an optimistic & powerful beacon of hope for change in communities everywhere, and we cannot let that light be extinguished without a fight. 

The challenge and urgency are specifically due to the following events: Ron’s headquarters were previously owned by a third party that defaulted on its mortgage and thus, the property was purchased by a new third party that’s now in the late stage of eviction proceedings against Ron and his operation. Since the garden started in 2010, the headquarters have grown into far more than just a garden, representing an incredible change for this community. The property now includes the project’s offices, an educational center and a propagation station for more edible urban landscapes. It’s incredible, really.

We must act now, as Ron could be evicted from this property at any point in time over the next few weeks. I’ve spoken to his attorney and others following this case closely and the only option is to raise approximately $500,000. This is the amount of money that it will take to negotiate the purchase of the property from the current owner. To accomplish this, a GoFundMe crowdfunding effort was launched 2 months ago. Unfortunately, as of today, just a little over $200,000 of the needed funds have been raised. The eviction process is progressing and Ron is simply running out of time. If he is evicted, it will be too late. To use a sports analogy, we are in the very bottom of the 9th inning and Ron’s Project is behind by a few runs. We need to act now and get this done before it is too late. 

So here’s where I ask for you to join us. My wife Beth and I are personally contributing $50,000 to Ron. Additionally, as part of Annie’s longstanding support of school and community gardens, Annie’s will be contributing $50,000 as well, so that together, we are in for $100,000. With these investments, all we need to raise is a little over $200,000. We need to raise this money in a matter of days and that is where we need your help.

I’m asking you to please consider joining us in donating and or spreading the word about this important and time sensitive campaign.  

1.     To donate:

The fastest way is to go donate directly to the crowdfunding site located here: https://www.gofundme.com/savethegangstagarden

Or, if your donation is larger, it is more efficient to wire it directly to the Ron Finley Project so that the crowdfunding site 10% commission can be avoided. The wiring instructions are:

The Ron Finley Project

J.P. Morgan Chase

Acct #: 616558156

Routing #: 322271627

SWIFT Code: CHASUS33

Note: The Ron Finley Project is a U.S. 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization with EIN: 47-1416564

2.     To spread the word: Please share the GoFundMe link (above) in your personal and company social channels. The more awareness the better. Every eyeball counts!

Thank you so much for considering this urgent and worthy cause. There is a lot that is not right in the world today, so let’s act now, at a time where we have the opportunity to seize and preserve something precious for our kids and communities. 

Thank you and Best,

JF