Green Comes to Brownfield Turf unrolled at Not A Cornfield

Looking as iconic as haystacks in a Monet painting, big rolls of “tall fuscue” turf have arrived at Not A Cornfield. The turf will cover more than four acres of the 32-ace Not A Cornfield site -- in particular, the area near the “Millies” welcome center.

Work began Thursday morning, July 28th, with a spreading out of the first rolls. Each roll contains 350 square-feet of grass and soil. The turf will likely all be in place by noon Saturday, July 30. Visitors are asked to refrain from trodding on the new grass for one week, while initial watering and tending takes place.

Los Illegals & Friends Play Not A Cornfield

The seminal East Los Angeles Chicano punk band, Los Illegals, featuring Willie Herrón and Jesus Velo and fronted here by poet / journalist Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, performed Wednesday night at Not A Cornfield, as part of the site's special events series.

In front of a full house, as the sun set, MTA gold line subway cars powered by, and the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles formed the background beyond the furrows of the Not A Cornfield site, the band provided a musical and spoken word tribute to history, agriculture, local culture, and the future state park. Los Illegals and Guzman-Lopez further performed material from “The Spine of Califas,” their recent California road poetry performance collaboration. The band also backed open mic performers, including mad-skilled attendees from Los Angeles Youth Network. RadioSonideros produced the music portion of the evening.

Next up, the Echo Park Film Center and Tijuana’s
Bulbo collective combined to present a program of short films by the latter’s members. Titles of the fast-paced contemporary pieces included “Neograffiti,” “Luchas en Familia,” “Healthy Mutation,” and “El Rio.” Bulbo member Tilo Perez directed that five-minute short – his debut – and was on hand to shake hands and share experiences.

The next Open Mic / Open Screen event @ Not A Cornfield will happen Wednesday, August 10, 2005. Open mic sign-up is 7:30pm. Please attend, participate, and tell your friends. All ages welcome. Handicapped accessible.

Photos by James Goodnight

SPECIAL EVENT - JULY 31 @ 4pm: DRUM CIRCLE + CORN PLANTING

You are cordially invited to another "NOT A CORNFIELD" event:
DRUM CIRCLE + CORN PLANTING

MORE INFO: 323.226.1158

HANDICAPPED ACCESIBLE
ALWAYS FREE TO THE PUBLIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED DURING SPECIAL EVENTS
FREE PARKING

The project site is located between Chinatown, the LA River and Lincoln Heights on a large stretch of land north of downtown Los Angeles well known as “The Cornfields.”

DIRECTIONS (SOUTH GATE) - From the intersection of Spring and College (Gold Line - Chinatown stop) take Spring north 2 blocks to the entrance gate at the southern end of the project site.

DIRECTIONS (NORTH GATE) - From the intersection of Spring and College (Gold Line - Chinatown stop) take Spring north to Baker. Veer left onto Baker and continue to the north gate.
Look for signs / flags for parking.

FIRST SPROUT APPEARS

Not a Cornfield's first corn sprout has emerged. Three days after machine planting, the debut sprout (pictured left) pushed up through the soil on Tuesday, July 26. The pioneer is located near the communal garden in the midst of the site. By Wednesday morning, multiple corn sprouts had arrived near the North Spring Street boundary.

Photo by Willie Nishizawa