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9th Annual Long Beach Urban Agriculture Contest Celebrates Local Growers Published by Long Beach Fresh | Photos by Manuel Diaz | Katie Phillips Gallery, Bixby Knolls The 9th Annual Blue Ribbon Contest for Local Urban Agriculture brought together some of Long Beach's most passionate growers, bakers, and makers for a celebration of what's possible when community members tend their plots with care, creativity, and a little competitive spirit. Hosted by Long Beach Fresh at the beautiful Katie Phillips Gallery at The Expo in Bixby Knolls, this year's contest showcased a colorful spread of entries from community gardens, backyard plots, and small home kitchens across the city. Whether a seasoned entrant with years of blue ribbons under their belt or a first-timer stepping up to the judging table for the very first time, every grower brought something worth celebrating. Long Beach Fresh Co-Director Tony Damico reflected on what makes this contest special year after year: "This contest often takes place in a tricky transition for gardens, early in the spring. This gives us a chance to showcase resilience and creativity among growers — we never know what we'll see, and this year had some pretty cool surprises from long time entrants and some new faces." From Glen Skalland's standout beets, to the bold Peruvian chili sauce from Green Axe, the range of entries this year was a testament to the depth and diversity of Long Beach's urban agriculture community. Zaferia Junction Community Garden and Chestnut Garden both showed up strong across multiple categories, and Pastry Pang's sourdough focaccia had everyone reaching for a second look — and a second slice. Here's how the ribbons fell: BEST IN SHOW Glen Skalland's Homegrown Candycane Beets VEGETABLES 1st Place — Glen Skalland's Homegrown Onions 2nd Place — Andrea | LBO Chestnut Garden Hybrid Gourd 3rd Place — Leticia Andrade's Homegrown Celery SAUCES 1st Place — Green Ax Peruvian Chili Sauce 2nd Place — Candlestick Ravine Cilantro Pesto 3rd Place — Candlestick Ravine Pineapple Habanero BOUQUETS 1st Place — Allison | LBO Zaferia Junction Community Garden Artichokes 2nd Place — Vanessa | LBO Zaferia Junction Community Garden Flowers 3rd Place — Andrea | LBO Chestnut Garden Flowers ROOT VEGETABLES 1st Place — Glen Skalland's Homegrown Candycane Beets 2nd Place — Vanessa | LBO Zaferia Junction Community Garden Carrots LEAFY GREENS 1st Place — Andrea | LBO Chestnut Garden Longevity Spinach 2nd Place — Vanessa | LBO Zaferia Junction Community Garden Kale 3rd Place — Glen Skalland's Homegrown Cabbage FRUIT 1st Place — Allison | LBO Zaferia Junction Community Garden Blackberries BAKED GOODS Best in Category — Pastry Pang's Sourdough Focaccia Congratulations to all of this year's winners and entrants — and a huge thank you to everyone who grew, baked, harvested, and hauled their work to the gallery. Events like this are a reminder that Long Beach's food culture runs deep, and it starts in the soil. Want to get involved in next year's contest? Follow Long Beach Fresh for updates on upcoming events, workshops, and growing opportunities across the city. The Long Beach Department of Health has officially opened applications for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) permits. The application form is available now at longbeach.gov. To help home cooks navigate the process, the Department is hosting two free workshops with community partners. Long Beach Fresh and key MEHKO partner organizations will be on hand to answer questions and help connect attendees with the right resources. MEHKO Workshops Workshop #1 Wednesday, May 27, 2026 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Houghton Park Workshop #2 Thursday, June 4, 2026 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm McBride Park — Teen Center Drop in anytime during the workshop window. Bring your questions, bring a neighbor. No registration is required, and language interpretation is available.  Introducing MEHKOLink
There are clear steps to take if you want to get started with your own home kitchen business, and your community is here to help! We anticipate the City will be able to begin issuing the first permits in August of this year, and we are launching MEHKOLink as a MEHKO accelerator, promotion network, and resource connector. MEHKOLink serves as a peer network and resource hub for current and aspiring MEHKO operators. MEHKOLink connects home cooks with each other, with information and resources, and the broader Long Beach food community through cooperative marketing. Avid MEHKO supporters are encouraged to join and stay in the loop about home restaurant launches, as well! Sign up for MEHKOLink updates as we build together! tinyurl.com/homecookco. How We Got Here For the past several years, Long Beach Fresh has coordinated advocacy and worked alongside local decision-makers to ensure Long Beach's MEHKO program is genuinely accessible. We're continuing that work: we're asking the City to identify funding to help home cooks get started, and we're hopeful that state funds may also become available to support new MEHKOs.  On April 21, the Long Beach City Council voted 5–3 to pass the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Ordinance, setting the table for a permit program expected to launch in Summer 2026. The vote follows a seven-year grassroots effort led by Long Beach Fresh, along with a nearly two-year City process that included a feasibility study, stakeholder meetings, and multiple presentations and hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. The anticipated program aligns with well-established state guidelines, including a limit of 90 meals per week, plan check and health inspection requirements, and a food manager’s certificate for operators. Advocates organized through Long Beach Fresh's Home Cook Coalition, with support from COOK Alliance and key partnership with community organizations like ORALE, aiming to keep the program accessible and affordable for potential micro-enterprise home kitchen operators. Our Coalition WorkThrough coalition work spearheaded by Co-Director Tony Damico, Long Beach Fresh brought together 90 stakeholders including aspiring home cooks, community advocates, commercial kitchens like Feel Good Enterprises and Partake Collective, established food businesses such as Battambong BBQ, Gusto Bread, and Axiom Kitchen, and organizations like Long Beach Forward, ORALE, the Vendor Justice Committee, Public Counsel, Harbor Area Farmers Markets, and the Downtown Long Beach Alliance. We held monthly coalition meetings, organized meetings with city decision makers, coordinated on communication strategies, and helped to ensure that everyone from the grassroots to the grass-tops were well informed along the way.   
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AuthorTony Damico is co-Director of Long Beach Fresh ArchivesCategories |
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