A new food hub, Imani Gardens, has opened in Hyde Park, providing access to fresh produce, juices, and vegan cuisine. This initiative aims to combat food deserts and support Black farmers, continuing the legacy of a previous juice shop and expanding to offer a comprehensive food supply and distribution model.
On a mild January afternoon, the back of a strip mall at the corner of West 77th Street and Crenshaw Boulevard in Hyde Park displayed dozens of watermelons. These striped green orbs, a vibrant reminder of summer, were laid out on the asphalt, offering a splash of color in the middle of winter. The watermelons arrived courtesy of Imani Diggs, who had driven a total of 43 hours from Los Angeles to Florida and back.
He made this trip four times during the month, each time bringing back thousands of pounds of watermelon. Diggs explained, I connected with some Black farmers in Florida in December, and I drove there to pick up the watermelons, allowing people to continue their fruit fasts. Many customers expressed their gratitude, sharing how Diggs's deliveries were essential to their health routines. Diggs sources watermelons from farms across the country, including Florida, Mexico, and Houston, and has delivered them to locations throughout California, including Las Vegas and various areas in California. He now sells watermelons, juice, and other produce at his first storefront, Imani Gardens, located inside the Crenshaw Food Hub. The Crenshaw Food Hub now occupies the space previously held by Kathy’s Kitchen. Kathy Alston started her juice shop in 2020, offering produce and juices made from local farmers markets. Her lemon, ginger, and turmeric juice and celery, lime, and ginger elixir were favorites. After five years, Alston decided to close, stating her goal of bringing healthier food options to the community. Now, Diggs, along with partners Adam X and Compton Community Garden director TemuAsyr Martin Bey, are continuing Alston's vision on a larger scale. Diggs and X had previously organized produce pop-ups together in Leimert Park. X stated they had planned to transition to a permanent location and learned about Kathy’s Kitchen closing, leading them to pursue taking over the lease. The plan involved transforming the space into a food hub with Imani Gardens as the main tenant. The hub would have a permanent market with fresh juices and groceries, as well as kitchen space for food entrepreneurs. X stated the idea is to provide the community with a place to obtain groceries in a food desert. The food hub currently features two resident chefs. Amin Muhammad, who grew up nearby, is a vegetarian creating a vegan eggplant pizza. Muhammad noted the lack of quality food options in the area. Visitors can purchase Muhammad's pizzas, navy bean soup, bean pie, and other prepared dishes. Wolf Collins, operator of Electric Wok, specializes in alkaline vegan food, and supplies Imani Gardens with grab-and-go sandwiches and stir-fried quinoa. Collins also creates a popular soursop fish sandwich made with breaded unripe soursop and various alkaline sauces and pickles. Collins also makes burro fries. The hub, market, and chefs are part of a larger plan by X, Bey, and Diggs to create a healthful food supply and distribution operation, expanding to other inner cities. The food hub's mission focuses on establishing markets for Black farmers, producing nutrient-rich food products, and distributing fresh, culturally relevant foods to address food deserts and uplift communities. The goal is to revitalize farming and promote access to healthy foods to improve longevity through Black food sovereignty and cooperative economics
Food Hub Vegan Black-Owned Business Food Desert Produce
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