**Enhancing Food Security in Lompoc**

With the aim of addressing the challenges faced by under-resourced neighborhoods in Lompoc, LegacyWorks is partnering with Collective Cultures Creating Change Lompoc (C4 Lompoc) to create the Lompoc Resilience Garden. In Lompoc, accessing locally grown produce can be challenging for some residents. According to the 2021 U.S. Census, Lompoc’s poverty rate was 17.6% (compared to Santa Barbara County’s 10.5% average) with people of color having disproportionately higher rates of poverty.
This innovative initiative seeks to enhance food security and bolster community resilience by creating a vibrant and sustainable community garden. The garden will provide access to fresh, affordable produce and serve as a hub for community gatherings and education on sustainable food production and healthy eating. A community supported project, the garden is hosted on land provided by the First Christian Church of Lompoc and tended to by a cadre of dedicated volunteers from Lompoc High School and the Lompoc Islamic Center. The garden provided its first crop in July 2025 with a donation of over 400lbs of fresh produce to the Lompoc Food Pantry. Additionally, Shelby Wilde of Route 1 Farmers market has been providing guidance and volunteer training on production, soil health, harvest, and garden maintenance.

**Role of LegacyWorks**

The Resilience Garden's journey began with funding made available to LegacyWorks by Lockheed Martin with additional funding from the State of California. LegacyWorks has been providing backbone support in project management and connection to partners to help make C4’s dream a reality. Denise Knapp of the Botanical Garden designed vibrant drough tolerant native plant beds to attract pollinators while Abe Powell of the Bucket Brigade led a team of community volunteers who installed the garden, marking a remarkable collaboration embodying the spirit of community and resilience on a sunny Saturday.

**Partners**
Bucket Brigade, C4, First Christian Church, Guadalupe Lompoc Initiative, Lockheed Martin, Denise Knapp, Route 1 Farmers Market

**Time Frame**
Project start up: January 2023
Project completion: September 2026

Strategies in Action

Build capacity through multiple pathways - LegacyWorks is working to increase C4-Lompoc’s capacity to facilitate and lead initiatives while also increasing the flow of resources in this historically under-resourced community
Foster connectedness through deepening relationships and trust - LegacyWorks is helping to create new and stronger connections across organizations and sectors by fostering new partnerships between C4 and other regional partners to realize the community garden including the Bucket Brigade, the Guadalupe Lompoc Initiative and Denise Knapp of the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. This has resulted in increased flow of resources, information and learning opportunities for C4 and community members.

Measures of Success

New partnerships and learning opportunities across sectors and organizations
Garden beds in production, food donated
C4-Lompoc increasing in organizational and project capacity

Milestones and Progress

Garden beds installed
Irrigation systems in place
Fencing installed
Harvest in progress and donations to Food Shelf
Volunteer program in place with volunteers from Lompoc High School and the Lompoc Islamic Center
A garden launch event was held on July 26, 2025 with demonstrations on how to compost with worms (vermiculture) by Route 1 Farmers Market and how to build a raised garden bed by C4. The event included activities for children and a produce give-away.

What's Next?

C4 will be learning about crop rotations and hosting additional community events over the coming 18 months. Together, we will be developing a long term funding strategy for the garden.

Inspiration from the Field

Read about the garden launch party here: Lompoc Resilience Garden Launch, July 2025