TED Talk: Ron Finley, Guerilla Gardener in South Central LA

Ron Finley, longtime reside of South Central LA, talks at length about why he likes planting vegetable gardens wherever he can – abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs outside houses. He’s an incredibly effective and charismatic speaker, and his talk is a great balance between insight, information, and humor.

There are a ton of great, quotable lines throughout his entire talk:

Gardening is the most… therapeutic and defiant act you can do, especially in the inner city. Plus you get strawberries.

In addition to speaking about the act of gardening, Finley also talks a lot about the impact that food (and food choices) have on people. Another great, quotable bit from his talk:

If kids grow kale, kids eat kale. If they grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes. But when none of this is presented to them, if they’re not shown how food effects the mind and the body… they blindly eat whatever the hell you put in front of them.

Finley is not a man short on vision, or passion, or energy. He’s an inspiring speaker, and this is a talk that’s well worth your time to check out. When you’re done watching, swing by his website, to learn more about his background (he’s had a long history of doing some pretty incredible things).

[via Karyn]

Related:
“Imagine” Garden, Visible from the Blue Line at Western
Yard Makeover

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave A Reply