I was excited to interview Judi Gerber, co-author of From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles, for the Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast. I had a feeling her historical perspective on immigration from the agricultural standpoint would shed new light on the subject dominating the news.

Judi is also a Master Gardener and program coordinator for Torrance Memorial, which rents a plot at the Torrance Community Garden. She teaches gardening classes and is a freelance writer on the subjects of sustainability, urban farming, local foods, and organic gardening. She shares a few gardening tips on the podcast as well.

History of Agriculture in L.A. with Judi Gerber

Judi walks us down the timeline that transformed Southern California (then part of Mexico) from pasture and Native lands to commercial fruit farming and ranching, and eventually to paved roads and skyscrapers. Along the way, she shares the politics of agriculture and immigration with enlightening detail.

Listen to the Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe on iTunes here. And check out Judi’s books:

From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles (co-written with Rachel Surls) You can read our review of the book on the Gardenerd Blog here.

Farming in Torrance and the South Bay

You can follow Judi on Twitter @LAFarmGirl.