The James P. Folsom Experimental Ranch Garden is an urban agricultural garden that explores and interprets optimal approaches to gardening in our regional ecosystems and climate – the semi-arid landscapes of Southern California. The garden includes a mixture of edible landscapes, where fruit trees mingle with native shrubs, perennial herbs, and reseeding annuals. In the center of the 1.5-acre garden is a traditional vegetable row garden.
In a nod to the Huntington’s agricultural roots, the site encompasses the surviving orange groves from Mr. Huntington’s day and a new heritage grove of avocados representing the 33 most significant varieties in the state’s agricultural history. Also gracing the Ranch are dozens of fruit trees from the South Central Farm, an urban garden in Los Angeles that was razed in 2006. Rescued by the Metabolic Studio, the trees were boxed and moved to The Huntington.
The Ranch Garden is envisioned as a community resource to help bolster L.A.’s capacity to establish a sustainable and equitable food system. Its combination of history and forward-thinking research should have a lot to teach all of us.
Please note: at the insistence of the Huntington, participation has to be capped at 20 people. This means chapter members only. No guests! If you wish to attend, please contact us immediately to get on the list.