Farmlab Public SalonSIMPARCH with Steve RowellFriday, June 8 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

Hydromancy, Gloom & Doom, and Dirty Water Initiative

Join Steve Badgett* of the art collective, SIMPARCH, along with their sometime collaborator Steve Rowell, as the trio discuss recent exhibits including "Hydromancy," "Gloom and Doom," and "Dirty Water Initiative." The range of topics of these shows covers the US/Mexico border, military airspace, and clean water.

Photo: The solar still. 250 gallons of dirty Rio Grande water purified and injected into the gallery where it drips onto the floor. Visitors drank the water using paper cones.

*note: this entry has been edited

Farmlab Public SalonJoe LintonFriday, June 1 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

Down By The Los Angeles River
Or: How to Lose Thousands of Pounds of Concrete and Keep It Off!

Joe Linton will speak on the past, present and future of the Los Angeles River. Through Los Angeles was founded on our River, by the 1980's, the once scenic natural waterway had become neglected, degraded and largely forgotten. Communities and activists have struggled to begin to bring the river back to life. New parks, bikeways, public art and more have opened along the River, and the best is yet to come! Come and learn about the mighty Los Angeles and what you can do to restore its health.

About Joe Linton

Joe Linton is an activist and artist with experience in many urban environmental causes. He currently serves as the
Director of River Projects at The City Project, and is a former Outreach Director for Friends of the LA River, and environmental deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes. Linton co-founded the LA County Bicycle Coalition. He wrote and illustrated the book, "Down by the Los Angeles River" (Wilderness Press 2005).
Farmlab Location

Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

Farmlab Public SalonFallen Fruit(David Burns, Matias Viegener, And Austin Young)Friday, May 25, 2007 @ Noon

Take Back The Fruit
Public Space & Community Activism

The Fallen Fruit collective uses locational interventions to rethink public space, ecology and private ownership in the city. Fruit'ers David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young will be presenting a series of projects that include neighborhood mapping, public fruit parks, bus shelter posters, nighttime fruit forages, and public fruit jams. By integrating aesthetic strategies with folk art and old-time activism, the group aims to create new ways to inhabit and construct our cities.

About Fallen Fruit

Fallen Fruit is an activist art project which started as a mapping of all the public fruit in our Silver Lake neighborhood. As the group explains: "We encourage everyone to harvest, map, plant and sample public fruit, which is what we call all fruit on or overhanging public spaces such as sidewalks, streets or parking lots. We believe fruit is a resource that should be commonly shared, like shells from the beach or mushrooms from the forest. Our goal is to get people thinking about the life and vitality of our ighborhoods and to consider how we can change the dynamic of our cities and common values."

Farmlab Location

Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

Farmlab Public Salon'Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea'W/ Chris Metzler+Jeff SpringerFriday, Dec. 14, 2007 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

Where the Apocalypse and Utopia Meet to Dance a Dirty Tango
A screening of the film, "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salon Sea" + A discussion with the co-directors

About the Salon

Fabulously offbeat and refreshingly upbeat, this lovable film gets friendly with the natives of the Salton Sea, an inland ocean of massive fish kills, rotting resorts, and 120 degree nights located just minutes from urban Southern California. This award-winning film from directors Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer details the rise and fall of the Salton Sea, from its heyday as the "California Riviera" where boaters and Beach Boys mingled in paradise to its present state as a decaying, forgotten ecological disaster. From wonderland to wasteland, PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA captures a place far more interesting than the shopping malls and parking lots of suburban America, a wacky world where a beer-swilling Hungarian Revolutionary, a geriatric nudist, and a religious zealot building a monument to God all find solace and community.

Crisply and hilariously narrated by oddball auteur John Waters, and featuring music by desert lounge rockers Friends of Dean Martinez, PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA melds high camp with stark realism, offering both a sobering message about the consequences of tampering with nature and a heart-warming tale of individualism.

More info at: www.saltonseadoc.com

About PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA

Directed by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer
Narrated by John Waters
Music by Friends of Dean Martinez

"Weird and wonderful." - The New Times
"A heartbreaking, sidesplitting parade of humanity." - Village Voice
"Historically thorough and thoroughly hysterical." - L.A. Weekly
"Droll, deadpan... A fascinating, nutty story, a kind of Chinatown gone wrong (or gone more wrong.) - Chicago Tribune
"One-of-a-kind documentary... A startlingly funny portrait of Gothic Americana." - Christian Science Monitor
"An interesting, disturbing, and humorous look at environmental disaster." - The Berkeley Daily Planet
"A hilarious and kindly ode to a fallen paradise." - SF Weekly
"Four stars! Offering you a vacation like you've never had before...
in this charming, yet sad documentary." - Film Threat

About Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer

4 years, 2 sunburned guys, 1 melted camera, 120° heat, 75% humidity, dust storms, earthquakes, beautiful sunsets, flooded towns, palm trees, air boat rides, double-wides, bombing ranges, amputees, meth addicts, swinging seniors, naked Christians, mooning Hungarians, infatuated eleven year-olds, dead shit, botulism, toxic muck, an unfathomable stench, and a whole lot of cash -- all washed down with a warm 40oz beer.

After graduating from USC with a degree in business and cinema, Chris Metzler's film career has taken him from the depths of agency work, to coordinating post-production for awful American movies seen late at night in Belgium.

His film directing and producing work has resulted in frequent partnerships with Jeff Springer, where together they've criss-crossed the country with the aid of caffeinated beverages and made their way in the Nashville country and Christian music video industries, before finally forsaking their souls to commercial LA rock 'n' roll. These misadventures eventually culminated in them winning a Billboard Magazine Music Video Award. Chris now finds himself pursuing docs featuring gay truck drivers and Australian opal miners.

Jeff Springer was born in a virtually abandoned town in the California desert, raised in Hawaii, and educated at USC Film School. After living for a winter in Russia, he returned to Los Angeles to begin directing music videos, shorts, and editing for UPN, Fox, Geffen Records, and Lucasfilm. Burned out and hung over, he eventually fled to San Francisco to start work on PLAGUES & PLEASURES, while still driving to Los Angeles to edit WWF and Moesha promos to pay the bills. He now lives somewhere between San Francisco, London, and Berlin.

Paul Stamets Draws Large Crowd, Shares Mushroom Wisdom

Paul Stamets, famed mushroom expert, spent parts of two recent days at Farmlab and Under Spring. On Friday, April 13, Stamets presented a Farmlab Public Salon to an estimated crowd of 300 people. The next day, the mycologist returned to lead a more intimate, hands-on workshop about how to use mushrooms for soil remediation purposes.

WorldChanging's Vanessa Rutter participated in both activities, and filed this report.

Arthur magazine's Jay Babcock did the same, and took this photo.

In the photo up above, Stamets autographs copies of his books, including "Mycelium Running," after his Friday night presentation.

Here's a shot by Farmlab team member James Goodnight, of Stamets during the Saturday workshop.

And, here's another Goodnight photo -- this one inspired in part by Stamets and his work. What is it? Fungi, being grown at Farmlab.

This Week @ FarmlabNews + Projects +Salons + ExhibitionsApril 25-May 1, 2007

Farmlab Public Salons
Friday, April 27, 2007 @ Noon
Burton S. Sperber | ValleyCrest: A History
Join Burton S. Sperber, Founder and CEO of ValleyCrest Companies for a talk about the history of and projects of this storied, venerable Southern California-based landscape firm.... full text

Friday, May 4, 2007 @ Noon
Brian Morgan | The American Carousel -- The Magical Ride
Join carousel expert Brian Morgan as he provides a whirlwind introduction to the art and allure of the carousel. Morgan will discuss how the American carousel is much more than.... full text

Farmlab Exhibition Center
February 23 through June 1, 2007
Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness
Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest.... full text

Under Spring Gallery
April 20 through May 23, 2007
Edward Porter | Cascade
Cascade, by Edward Porter, is a working fountain -- a colorful construction of iconic ceramic, metal, plaster, and plastic objects including statues, money banks, and wash boards.... full text

News + Projects
Trees from the South Central Farm
Some Bearing Fruit At Huntington
The 110 trees removed by Farmlab for safekeeping from the site of the former South Central Farm are generally doing well in their new, temporary home at the Huntington.... full text

Recent Photographs
From Farmlab and Under Spring
See new shots of salon speakers, exhibition opening receptions, experiments in agriculture, blackboard art, and whatever else catches the eyes of our photo editors.... full text & images

Farmlab Public SalonGallery Talk WithLauren Bon and Farmlab TeamFriday, May 18 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

Join Farmlab project artist Lauren Bon, sculptor George Herms, agriculturalist Jaime Lopez Wolters, and fellow Farmlab team members as they discuss the Garden of Brokenness, on display through June 1 at the Farmlab Exhibition Center.

Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as "one of the ugliest, most devastated spots on the Los Angeles River" (Dr. Jennifer Price), but which is also one of the more inspirational.

Trees of South Central Farm Bearing Fruit At Huntington

The 110 trees removed by Farmlab for safekeeping from the site of the former South Central Farm (SCF) are generally doing well in their new, temporary home at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botantical Gardens.

Some of the trees are bearing fruits and vegetables again, depending on their seasonal cycles. Green apples, for example, are re-emerging. And familiar oblong yellow, acidic foodstuffs were seen dropping from branch to grass last week among the five citrus lemon trees that survived the SCF bulldozing.

Guavas make up the largest percentage of relocated SCF trees. This flora, along with the avocado trees, was hit particularly hard by last winter's San Marino frost -- temperatures at the Huntington fell to 18-degrees Fahrenheit. Heaters and blankets were brought in at the time, and a Huntington arborist tells Farmlab that while the guavas won't bear fruit this cycle, they didn't perish.

In a nice piece of Farmlab / Under Spring / Not A Cornfield meets the Huntington symmetry, a Farmlab colleague reports seeing marigolds growing at the base of some of the former SCF trees. These colorful beauties played a significant role in the Cornhenge metabolic monument, as well as La Ofrenda ceremonies and programming.

The trees, which are boxed, are not on official display at the institution, but are visible at their location adjacent to the Children's Garden.

For a complete list of the type and quantity of the 110 trees at the Huntington, click here.

Newspaper Story About Farmlab Says, 'This is Really Not A Cornfield'

The Los Angeles Downtown News ran a front page feature story about Farmlab in the April 23, 2007 issue of the newspaper.

The piece, by staff writer Lea Lion and featuring a page one photo by Gary "Take My Picture" Leonard, quotes Farmlab project artist Lauren Bon and general manager Al Nodal.

The story begins with a description of last year's Not A Cornfield project, before moving on to discuss Farmlab and Under Spring.

As Lion writes:

The question many still asked was, what's next? The answer, it turned out, is Farmlab.

"Farmlab started as an answer to a problem," Bon said during a recent phone conversation. "The problem was how do we protect and perpetuate living things in an often hostile urban environment?"

The complete story will be available for free-of-charge web viewing here until May 6, 2007.

After that, please visit the paper's online archives.

Earth Day Weekend Activities Around Los Angeles

For those whom so kindly inquired, please note that Farmlab is neither hosting nor sponsoring any special Earth Day weekend programs.

(The Farmlab Exhibition Center will remain open during usual Saturday gallery hours, 10am-5pm. The gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.)

Southlanders seeking green happenings in the coming days: One good list of such public events is available here on the LA Weekly website, as compiled by environmental reporter Judith Lewis.

RAIN OR SHINE -- CASCADE EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION IS ON FOR TONIGHT, FRIDAY, APRIL 20

We look forward to seeing you all at 7:30pm tonight -- Friday, April 20 -- precipitation or not.

More info on the exhibition is here.

Farmlab Public SalonTaja Sevelle and Joyce LapinskyUrban FarmingFriday, May 11 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

URBAN FARMING:

INCLUDE FOOD! WHEN PLANTING AND LANDSCAPING!

We will share our journey that began in the heart of Detroit not yet three years ago and where we are at in spring of 2007 as well as our many opportunities, intended goals and vision. Mission Statement: Urban Farming intends to eradicate hunger by planting edible gardens on unused land and space while increasing diversity, motivating youth and seniors and optimizing the use of land for the production of food and alternative fuel.

We encourage our campaign "Include Food! when planting and landscaping." We’ll show video and photographs of our gardens and how we plant ground gardens, in planter boxes, on roof tops for community based gardens, schools gardens with our "Green Science Gardens" program, private and corporate landscaping and anywhere that could provide a healthy environment for growing fruits and vegetables.

About Taja Sevelle
Taja Sevelle is the Founder/Excecutive Director of Urban Farming. Sevelle founded Urban Farming late in 2004 while living in Detroit and being compelled to plant food on the countless vacant lots to provide access to healthy produce to the countless hungry people in and around that city. Today the nonprofit organization has given away approximately four tons of food to the hungry and brought communities and diverse groups of people together toward achieving those common goals. As a teenager, Sevelle had several years of experience working on a potato farm which was certified for seed potato in the last year that Sevelle worked there. Sevelle wanted to become a botanist, but her life took a turn when she decided to become a recording artist and was signed by Prince just after graduating a year early from high school and in the same week, being accepted into the Berklee College of Music. The first song she wrote, 'Love is Contagious', became a #3 hit in England and was in the top 5 in 15-20 cities in the United States. Among her many and diverse talents Taja has also invented a kitchen appliance.

About Joyce Lapinsky
Joyce Lapinsky is the Urban Farming Program Development Consultant. Lapinsky has been with Urban Farming since November of 2005. She was in the music industry for over twenty years starting in her home town of Minneapolis, and relocating to New York and Los Angeles, where she currently resides with her husband who is also in the entertainment industry. She has an extensive background in music publishing having been Creative Director and VP Creative at several of the prestigious majors and major-independent companies, such as Chappell/Intersong Music, Warner/Chappell Music, EMI Music and Zomba Music, as well as smaller 'indie' companies. She ran the music division at IAM.COM, an entertainment based Internet company and has co-produced television specials and independent films. Throughout her career, Joyce has been a consultant to developing songwriters and artists, and to companies and organizations such as NextNext Entertainment, a music and television production company and City Kids Foundation, a youth leadership foundation, both located in New York City.

Farmlab Location
Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

Farmlab Public SalonBurt SperberOf Valley CrestFriday, April 27 @ 12pmFree-of-Charge

ValleyCrest: A Landscape History

About Burt Sperber
Burton S. Sperber, FASLA, is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ValleyCrest Companies.

A pioneer in establishing the industry as a professional and respected entity, Sperber was instrumental in establishing regional and national landscape contracting associations. He was a founding member of the California Institute for Landscape Architecture and the American Institute for Landscape Architecture, organizations that are precursors to today's state and national associations. He is a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects (FASLA), and has been recognized with awards and honors throughout his six decade career as a landscape architect, contractor and business executive. He is a Director of Los Angeles Beautiful, former President and Founder of the California Landscape and Irrigation Council, and former Director of the Landscape Architectural Foundation.

-- from www.valleycrest.com

About ValleyCrest
"In 1949, we began as ValleyCrest Landscape Nurseries, a small neighborhood landscape retail nursery in North Hollywood, California, in the booming San Fernando Valley. Landscape work was primarily done in front and back yards. We became experts in building complete gardens including ponds, waterfalls, fence overhangs and concrete, and developed expertise in tree moving as well as selling nursery products retail.

"As we grew, schools and highways were being built, and the landscape work we did was in great demand. The tree growing demand developed along with us, and we thought up the idea of trees being grown in boxes which allowed us to plant 12 months out of the year. We separated the company and started Valley Crest Tree Co., mainly to grow trees for our jobs. Today, more than 90% of VCT's production is purchased by outside companies.

"The 1950s were the years of building a strong operational foundation, developing the tools in our company that are used throughout the industry in the United States today, including implements for tractors, hand tools and maintenance equipment. In the 50's we were the innovators in the landscape business. We honed our skills in tree moving. Today we use the same methods we used then for moving trees, only with much larger equipment.

"In the 1960s, we started expanding out of Los Angeles county to other cities and states, developing the branch system. We started our college scholarship programs and operated under the name ValleyCrest Company.

"In the early 70s, we decided to take our company public to help finance our unprecedented growth and developed a holding company named Environmental Industries, Inc. The word environmental was to be a word of the future. We created an independent landscape maintenance division and named it Environmental Care. We continued our growth in the 1980's. Our red trucks preceded us, and our reputation continued to grow. We bought back our public stock and became a private company again.

"By the 1990s, we were doing landmark projects around the United States. We started our golf division, which owned, built, managed and maintained golf courses. VC built and maintained almost 600 courses. Today, except for Glen Annie Golf Course in Santa Barbara, we no longer own or manage golf courses. And all of our golf course construction is done by ValleyCrest Landscape Development while our golf division successfully maintains some of the finest golf courses throughout the U.S.

"In 2002, we decided to rebrand our entire company under the ValleyCrest name. Our parent company is now named ValleyCrest Companies. Environmental Care has been renamed ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance and Environmental Golf has been renamed ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance. Our landscape construction division is ValleyCrest Landscape Development. Valley Crest Tree Co. kept its same name."

-- Burt Sperber, from www.valleycrest.com

Farmlab Public SalonBrian MorganCarousel HistorianFriday, May 4 @ NoonFree-of-Charge

The American Carousel--The Magical Ride

The American carousel is much more than a carnival ride, more than folk art, and more than a convenient place to park the kids while out shopping. A whirlwind introduction to the art and allure of the carousel.

Brian Morgan has been hooked on the joy of carousels ever since 1981 when he photographed the restoration of the historical carousel at Santa Monica Pier. An avid photographer and researcher, Brian has been active in the cause of restoration and preservation of the antique wooden carousel ever since.

Mr. Morgan has been an officer of the National Carousel Association for the past twenty years (ten as President) and is a founder member/officer of Friends of the Santa Monica Pier Carousel.

About Brian Morgan

Brian Morgan has been involved in the preservation of carousels in the United States and Canada as well as Germany and Australia.

Farmlab Location

Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

List of Trees from the South Central Farm Now Temporarily at the Huntington Gardens

4 APRICOT
18 AVOCADO
8 BANANA
9 CHERRY
1 CHORISIA
2 CITRUS
5 CITRUS LEMON
1 COCOA
1 CUPANIOPSIS
6 ERIOBOTRYA
1 ERYTHRINA
7 FIG
21 GUAVA
1 MACADAMIA
1 ORANGE
5 PEACH
3 PEAR
1 PODOCARPUS
5 POMEGRANATES

More info. here.