[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.52,0:00:19.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I live in South Central.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.41,0:00:21.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is South Central.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.70,0:00:24.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Liquor stores,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.33,0:00:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fast food,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.00,0:00:28.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,vacant lots.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.92,0:00:30.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the city planners, they get together
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.33,0:00:32.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they figure they've got to change the name
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.33,0:00:34.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of South Central to make it represent something else.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.12,0:00:37.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So they change it to South Los Angeles,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.05,0:00:41.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like this is going to change what's really going wrong in the city.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.24,0:00:43.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is South Los Angeles.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.55,0:00:44.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.91,0:00:52.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Liquor stores, fast food, vacant lots.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.06,0:00:54.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just like 26.5 million other Americans
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.84,0:00:58.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I live in a food desert:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.38,0:01:00.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,South Central, Los Angeles.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.37,0:01:01.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Home of the drive-thru
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.66,0:01:04.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the drive-by.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.22,0:01:09.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The funny thing is the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.37,0:01:11.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,People are dying from curable diseases
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.80,0:01:14.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in South Central, Los Angeles.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.41,0:01:17.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For instance, the obesity rate in my neighborhood
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.38,0:01:20.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is like 5 times higher than, say, Beverly Hills,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.58,0:01:24.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is like, probably 8, 10 miles away.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.54,0:01:27.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got tired of seeing this happening.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.88,0:01:33.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wonder, how would you feel if you had no access to healthy food?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.16,0:01:36.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If every time you walk out your door you see the ill effects
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.05,0:01:39.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the present food system have on your neighborhood?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.55,0:01:44.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see wheel chairs bought and sold like used cars.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.37,0:01:48.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see dialysis centers popping up like Starbucks.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.80,0:01:52.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I figured this has to stop.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.08,0:01:57.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I figured that the problem is the solution.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.55,0:02:01.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Food is the problem and food is the solution.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.12,0:02:04.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Plus I got tired of driving 45 minutes round-trip
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.22,0:02:08.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get an apple that wasn't impregnated with pesticides.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.41,0:02:13.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what I did, I planted a food forest in front of my house.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.29,0:02:15.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was on a strip of land there, we call it a parkway.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.63,0:02:18.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's like 150 ft by like 10 ft.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.72,0:02:20.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The thing is, it's owned by the city,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.88,0:02:23.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but you have to maintain it.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.88,0:02:27.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I went like: Cool, I'll do whatever the hell I want.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.75,0:02:31.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Since it's my responsibility and I've got to maintain it,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.96,0:02:34.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so this is how I decided to maintain it.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.96,0:02:37.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So me and my group, L.A. Green Grounds,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.29,0:02:40.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we got together and we started to plant my food forest.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.08,0:02:42.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fruit trees, you know, the whole nine, with vegetables.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.58,0:02:44.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What we do here, we're a pay-it-forward kind of group,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.100,0:02:51.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where it's composed of, like, gardeners from all walks of life from all over the city.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.13,0:02:54.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's completely volunteer and everything we do is free.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.53,0:03:00.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the gardening was beautiful, and then somebody complained.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.13,0:03:02.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The city came down on me
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.46,0:03:04.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they basically gave me a citation
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.82,0:03:06.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,saying that I had to remove my garden.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.90,0:03:09.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this citation turned into a warrant,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.42,0:03:13.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I'm like, Come on, really? A warrant for planting food
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.71,0:03:17.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on a piece of land that you couldn't care less about?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.07,0:03:18.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.55,0:03:20.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I was like, "Cool, bring it."
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.74,0:03:23.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because this time it wasn't coming up.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.83,0:03:28.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So L.A. Times got hold of it, Steve Lopez did a story on it,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.80,0:03:33.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and talked to the council man and one of the Green Ground members
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.50,0:03:36.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they put up a petition on change.org
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.30,0:03:40.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and with 900 signatures we were a success. We had a victory on our hands.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.97,0:03:47.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My council man even called me and said how they endorsed and loved what we were doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.75,0:03:50.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, com on, why woudn't they?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.04,0:03:54.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,L.A. leads the United States in the vacant lots that the city actually owns.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.50,0:04:00.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They own 26 square miles of vacant lots.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.25,0:04:03.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's 20 Central Parks.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.08,0:04:10.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's enogh space to plant 725 million tomato plants.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.82,0:04:13.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why the hell would they not OK this?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.39,0:04:19.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Growing one plant will give you a thousand, ten thousand seeds.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.08,0:04:25.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With one dollar's worth of green beans will give you, like, $75's worth of produce.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.57,0:04:29.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's my gospel, I'm telling people, grow your own food.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.47,0:04:34.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Growing your own food is like printing your own money.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.20,0:04:35.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laghter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.39,0:04:37.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.20,0:04:39.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.72,0:04:42.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I have a legacy in South Central.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.89,0:04:47.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I grew up there, I raised my sons there,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.58,0:04:51.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I refuse to be a part of this manufactured reality
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.36,0:04:56.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was manufactured for me by some other people and I'm manufacturing my own reality.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.75,0:04:58.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You see, I'm an artist.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.78,0:05:03.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Gardening is my grafitti, I grow my art.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.80,0:05:08.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just like a grafitti artist, when they beautify walls, me?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.00,0:05:11.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I beautify lawns, parkways.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.64,0:05:15.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I use the gardens, so that's like a piece of cloth
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.40,0:05:22.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the plants and the trees, that's my embellishment for that cloth.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.08,0:05:28.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You'd be surprised what a soil can do if you let it be your canvas.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.96,0:05:32.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You just couldn't imagine how amazing a sunflower is,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.56,0:05:35.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how it affects people.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.33,0:05:43.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what happened, I have witnessed my garden become a tool for the education.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.08,0:05:46.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A tool for the transformation of my neighborhood.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.12,0:05:51.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To change the community you have to change the composition of the soil.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.08,0:05:53.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We are the soil.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.07,0:06:01.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You'd be surprised how kids are affected by this.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.42,0:06:08.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.45,0:06:11.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,especially in the inner city.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.00,0:06:13.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Plus you get strawberries.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.00,0:06:17.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:06:17.08,0:06:21.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I remember this time, there was this mother and her daughter came,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.41,0:06:25.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was like 10:30 at night, they were in my yard,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.42,0:06:28.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I came out and they looked so ashamed.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:28.58,0:06:32.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Man, it made me feel bad that they were there,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.41,0:06:35.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I told them, you don't have to do it like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.49,0:06:37.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is on the street for a reason.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.48,0:06:43.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It made me feel ashamed to see people that were this close to me that were hungry.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.14,0:06:46.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This only reinforced why I do this.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.39,0:06:50.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And people were asking: "Finley aren't you afraid people are going to steal your food?"
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.97,0:06:55.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I am like, "Hell, no, I ain't afraid they're going to steal it. That's why it's on the street.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.37,0:06:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's the whole idea. I want them to take it, but at the same time
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.86,0:07:04.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I want them to take back their health."
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.24,0:07:09.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was another time when I put a garden in this homeless shelter
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.97,0:07:12.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in downtown Los Angeles.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.38,0:07:15.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the guys, they helped me unload the truck.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:15.26,0:07:20.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was cool, and they just shared the stories about how this affected them,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.08,0:07:23.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how they used to plant with their mother and their grandmother.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.05,0:07:26.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it was just cool see how this changed them,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.58,0:07:32.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if it was only for that one moment.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.70,0:07:37.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So Green Grounds has gone on to plant maybe, like, 20 gardens.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.04,0:07:42.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, like 50 people come to our dig ins and participate.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.26,0:07:44.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's all volunteers.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.14,0:07:47.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If kids grow kale, kids eat kale.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.17,0:07:48.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter and applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.87,0:07:54.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If they grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:54.22,0:07:57.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But when none of this is presented to them,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:57.16,0:08:00.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if they're not shown how food affects the mind and the body,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.66,0:08:05.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they blindly eat whatever the hell you put in front of them.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.24,0:08:09.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see young people and they want to work,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:09.62,0:08:12.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but they're in this thing where they're caught up,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.70,0:08:19.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see kids that are colored, and they just are in this track that's designed for them,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.41,0:08:22.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that leads them to nowhere, so with gardening
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.50,0:08:24.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see an opportunity where we can train these kids
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.91,0:08:32.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take over their communities, to have a sustainable life.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.66,0:08:38.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when we do this, who knows, we might produce the next George Washington Carver.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:38.33,0:08:42.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if we don't change the composition of the soil, we will never do this.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.30,0:08:45.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is one of my plans. This is what I want to do.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.10,0:08:51.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I want to plant a whole block of gardens, where people can share in the food
Dialogue: 0,0:08:51.08,0:08:57.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the same block. I want to take in shipping containers and turn them into healthy cafes.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:57.25,0:08:59.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now don't get me wrong.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.70,0:09:02.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm not talking about no free shit,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:02.66,0:09:05.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because free is not sustainable.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:05.29,0:09:10.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The funny thing about sustainability, you have to sustain it.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.16,0:09:13.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:09:13.58,0:09:17.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What I'm talking about is putting people to work and getting kids off the street.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.88,0:09:23.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And let them know the joy, the pride and the honor in growing your own food.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:23.24,0:09:25.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Open your Farmer's Market.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:25.58,0:09:30.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what I want to do here, we've got to make this sexy.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.69,0:09:36.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I want us all to become eco-lutionary, renegades, gangsters, gangsta gardeners.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.74,0:09:40.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've got to flip the script. I want a gangsta here.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.90,0:09:42.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you ain't a gardener, you ain't gangsta.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.83,0:09:47.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Be gangsta with your shovel, OK?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.16,0:09:51.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And let that be your weapon of choice.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:51.33,0:09:56.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:09:57.50,0:10:03.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, basically, if want to meet with me,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:03.20,0:10:06.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, if you want to meet, don't call me
Dialogue: 0,0:10:06.87,0:10:09.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if you want to sit around in cushy chairs
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.70,0:10:13.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and have meetings when you talk about doing some shit,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.82,0:10:16.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where you talk about doing some shit.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.79,0:10:21.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you want to meet with me come to the garden with your shovel,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.46,0:10:23.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we can plant some shit.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.47,0:10:25.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Peace!
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.28,0:10:28.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you, thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.90,0:10:37.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)