On a glorious Saturday morning in Lompoc, neighbors gathered under the late-summer sun to launch the Lompoc Resilience Garden — a space for growing food, sharing skills, and strengthening community ties. Families harvested fresh produce to take home, learned home gardening techniques, and celebrated a vision years in the making.

Created by Collective Cultures Creating Change Lompoc (C4 Lompoc), dedicated volunteers, and community partners — with support from the LegacyWorks Central Coast team — the garden is already making an impact. In July 2025, just months after planting, volunteers donated more than 400 pounds of fresh produce to the Lompoc Food Pantry.

Why It Matters

Accessing locally grown produce can be challenging in Lompoc, where residents of color experience disproportionately higher rates of poverty. This initiative strengthens food security while providing a welcoming hub for gatherings, learning, and connection. Hosted on land from the First Christian Church of Lompoc, the garden is cared for by committed volunteers from Lompoc High School and the Lompoc Islamic Center.

One of the highlights of the launch event was a hands-on vermiculture class led by Shelby Wilde of Route 1 Farmers Market, where participants learned how to compost with worms — turning kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil. This “living compost” method reduces waste, improves soil health, and is a powerful, sustainable tool for home gardeners.

The Role of LegacyWorks

The seeds of this project were planted in 2021, when Lockheed Martin funded a drought-tolerant, wildfire-resilient native plant garden. Designed by Denise Knapp of the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden and installed by Abe Powell of the Bucket Brigade with local volunteers, it became a foundation for bigger dreams.

A new gift from Lockheed, along with generous funding from the State of California (via Senator Monique Limón’s office) and the Guadalupe Lompoc Initiative, made those dreams possible — adding irrigation systems, raised vegetable beds, fencing, and accessible pathways. These resources also supported disaster response and youth leadership training by the Bucket Brigade.

LegacyWorks has provided backbone support from the start — managing the project, connecting partners, and helping C4 turn vision into reality. Our work emphasizes trust, relationships, and capacity-building, with the goal of equipping local leaders to sustain and grow their impact.

Collaboration in Action

The Resilience Garden has fostered new partnerships between C4 and regional allies like the Bucket Brigade, the Guadalupe Lompoc Initiative, and the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. These connections bring more resources, information, and learning opportunities into a historically under-resourced community.

What’s Next

Over the next 18 months, C4 will explore crop rotation techniques, host more community events, and develop a long-term funding strategy to ensure the garden thrives for years to come.

I’d like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the incredible partnership we’ve built together. Your collaboration, dedication, and shared vision have been key to our collective success. I’m genuinely grateful for the trust and commitment you’ve shown. — Yasmin Dawson