THRIVE Santa Ana CLT has partnered with local cooperatives CRECE Urban Farms, La Milpa Café, master artisan Gelacio Mendez, and Cooperación Santa Ana to launch the first community land project in our city, with space for farming, sale of locally produced food and crafts, community space for events and gatherings, and farmers markets! So many partners have contributed this historic project, including hundreds of Santa Ana residents and community partners. Engineers, workers, and nonprofit design company City Fabrick have helped create a beautiful design for the Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm.
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The Walnut and Daisy Team has seen recent fundraising successes, including a state award as a CERF Pilot Project! THRIVE and our project partners are excited to see over a decade of community work come to fruition, and we're motivated as ever to advance a community-driven model of economic development. Check out the Walnut and Daisy blog for ongoing updates! THRIVE will continue accepting donations, since additional funds will contribute to THRIVE's Acquisition Fund, and contribute to operating costs moving forward. Every dollar donated translates into project savings, and wealth building in the local economy. To donate, click here! Feel free contact us with any questions or for other ways to support, at thrivesantaana@gmail.com or (714)987-2009.
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See our Blog for project updates!
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Santa Ana's first community-driven project on public land, the Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm will be an urban farming and event space, incubating local, worker-owned businesses and providing healthy food and activities in Central Santa Ana.
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On March 3rd, 2020, the City of Santa Ana approved a Development and Disposition Agreement with THRIVE, which include a 99-year Lease on the land. At 1901 W Walnut St., the 16,000 square-foot site is surrounded by commercial, residential, and industrial zones.
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With local parter CRECE, a Santa Ana-based urban farming cooperative, and the support of Long Beach-based architectural design company City Fabrick, THRIVE has obtained preliminary approvals for the project.
The Walnut and Daisy Micro-Farm site plan is the result of deep community outreach and participation. Since 2016 THRIVE and its local partners invited community residents to lead the conversation around the City's use of vacant, publicly-owned lots throughout the City. In the neighborhood around Walnut and Daisy, THRIVE once again partnered with researchers and local residents to implement a survey door-to-door, asking about both neighborhood needs and existing assets. In 2018 a Community Art Festival was held at the Walnut and Daisy site on April 8th, 2018, to share survey findings with residents. By May 31st, 2018, working both with local residents and the City, THRIVE submitted to the City the intended use for the site: a community microfarm, building on extensive neighborhood knowledge about plants, farming, and food. THRIVE continues to engage and train neighborhood residents to learn about the development process and take lead roles in the project.
