Our latest project, Redesign Your Farmers’ Market, asked for design solutions that would help food grown by local farmers to be more effectively delivered and distributed to urban residents. We received 65 entries from as far away as Finland, England, New Zealand, and Lithuania. Our ten judges picked 22 finalists which were exhibited at the Los Angeles farmers’ market celebration 30 Years & Growing, as well as three runners-up and one winner. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who submitted for your thoughtful and passionate solutions.Winner:
Farm on WheelsA mobile vending concept consisting of a fleet of electric trucks dispatched from three permanent markets to disperse fresh produce more effectively in Los Angeles. “Farm on Wheels is a program that brings locally grown produce to the people of L.A. County. The program selects fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers and distributes the produce through a network of farm trucks. To engage more people in the consumption of fresh foods and support local and urban agriculture, Farm on Wheels creates a simplified and convenient food distribution network between farmers and consumers.”Mia Lehrer + AssociatesMia Lehrer, Astrid Diehl and Zhihang LuoLos AngelesFirst runner-up:The New City Center of Urban Farming A permanent farmers’ market hub in Hollywood that makes the farm experience visible to urban residents with vending, greenhouses, social programs and educational facilities.“The New City Center of Urban Farming (NCCUF) is the new information and food hub for the Los Angeles neighborhoods. This NCCUF and its four elements of demonstrative production (greenhouse), distribution (farmers market), processing (data center) and education (information center) centered around farming, both crops and data will feeding the new idea of rural and healthy living into metropolitan lifestyles.”im Studio mi/LAI. Mazzoleni with S. Price, H. Portillo, L. Donggun, S. Proudian, L. Castro, R. MolinaLos AngelesSecond runner-up:The Urban Field Farm Stop An urban distribution system that uses existing channels of mass transit and bus stops to sell produce in L.A.“This entry contemplates an innovative urban distribution system for fresh farm product to urban centers. As a complement to the typical destination market, the Urban Field Farm Stop concept inverts the traditional preconception of “market” and envisions the entire city map as a kind of decentralized farmers market, an Urban Field of fresh farm product integrated directly with the mass transit circulation system of the city. Select bus stops along central bus routes are reinvented as individual Farm Stops within this citywide Urban Field network.”BCV ArchitectsChristian von Ecksartsberg, Javier Medina, Megan Hannon, Laura Denton, Colin AlleySan FranciscoThird runner-up:Hydroponic Farm(ers Market)A site-specific concept for a hydroponic farm in San Francisco that harvests fog to feed a growing population.“In order to accommodate the increase of population in the San Francisco Bay Area the region will require a new infrastructure that can collect, distribute water, power, fuel, and good to accommodate the needs of residents and visitors. Through the exploration of environmental phenomena present in the Bay Area, this project investigates the notion of fog collection, urban agriculture, and distribution of farmed goods in the surrounding regions of San Francisco.”Michael LeungSan FranciscoAnd the 18 finalists:CROPSMin|DayOmaha, NE & San Francisco, CAFarm WagonBill McCullamNewbury, OHBuy the FarmKevin JonesRichmond, VAOoooby StallPete Russell, James Samuel, Rich McCoy & Nolan|RossGrey Lynn, Auckland, New ZealandErie Street MarketHugh BoydArdmore, PAModular MarketsAlastair Warren, Blake Richardson, Bruno WickesWellington City, NZConnectionsJessica Hyde, Daniel PenderAthens, GAAfter HarvestMegan Zeigler, Steven BellAthens, GARoofFoodLaura BoutwellNew York2-for-1 Ian Oberholtzer, Greg Mihalko, Ted UllrichNew YorkCommunity Farmers’ Market??Fidel DelgadoWashington, D.C.Gas n’ GreensWilliam FeuermanNew YorkLow Flow Farmers’ MarketBureau E.A.S.T.Los AngelesAn Illustrated Trip to the Farmers’ MarketMr. Tony LunchbreathChicagoFarmlinkJosephine Chan, Blanket CollaborativeSan FranciscoFARM^3Gray DoughertyBerkeley, CAPortland Farmers’ Market Gene and Linda Aleci/Community Heritage PartnersLancaster, PA & Portland, MEFOOD = UTILITYgrey.studioSan FranciscoSpecial thanks to our judges: Paula Daniels, Commissioner, Board of Public Works, City of Los Angeles; Vance Corum, Farmers’ Markets America; Paul Zajfen, CO Architects; Tibby Rothman, The Architect’s Newspaper; Mark Wall, manager and organizer of over 20 markets in Los Angeles; Klaus Koepfli & Erika Decker, Klausesbees; Steve Tamai, Tamai Family Farms; Vanessa Zajfen, The Urban & Environmental Policy Institute; Moira Beery, Urban planner, Occidental College and Alissa Walker, GOOD. And thanks to our partners, The Architect’s Newspaper, The Urban and Environmental Policy Institute of Occidental College, CO Architects and the Los Angeles Good Food Network.
