RON FINLEY X HERETIC COLLABORATION
“GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD IS LIKE PRINTING YOUR OWN MONEY" -Ron Finley
Ron Finley is a deeply conscious and vitally awake thinker, a rebel with a green thumb, and most definitely a heretic. Able to see through the clutter and noise, he is an inspired artist who connects people through powerful metaphors and raises their spirits by taking back what was already theirs to begin with.
Known as the “Gangsta Gardener”, Ron has been empowering citizens to grow their own food since 2010 when he began planting fruits, flowers and vegetables on his neighborhood parkways in South Central LA (those often neglected dirt patches next to our streets). He was cited for gardening without a permit by the apparent owners of those dirt patches: the City of Los Angeles. Queue the beginning of a horticulture revolution. Ron fought back, and won. He started a petition with fellow green activists, and demanded the right to garden and grow food in his neighborhood.
Through the Ron Finley Project, Ron's vision to rejuvenate communities through gardening and healthy eating has spread around the world, promoting a message of independence, knowledge, and social action. Finley has taught a MasterClass series, and his Ted Talk on guerrilla gardening has almost 4 million views. Listen to our podcast episode above to hear more on Ron's perspectives and ambitions. Below is a short snippet of our conversation.
Our collaboration HERETIC X RON FINLEY "Plant Some Shit" candle is available in very limited quantities on our site, as well as at Maxfield LA. The scent is perfectly captures garden aromas with an uplifting & herbaceous mix of mint, basil, and tomato leaves muddled with oakmoss, vetiver, traces of crushed pine needles, geranium and verbena.
About Ron Finley:
A fashion designer turned full-time gardener and activist, Finley grew up in South Central Los Angeles "food prison". He knows what it's like to drive 45 minutes just to get a fresh tomato. In low socio-economic neighborhoods it's much easier to find fast food, liquor stores, and diabetes treatment clinics than wholesome groceries for your family. The Ron Finley Project is teaching communities how to transform food deserts into food sanctuaries, and teaching individuals how to regenerate their lands into creative business models. Ron envisions a world where gardening is gangsta! *Gangsta: projecting strength on one’s own terms, hip, cool, innovative, revolutionary, resolute, vital, the cutting edge.
Finley’s property was once home to an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but he has since turned it into a green oasis filled with hundreds of different plants, vegetables, and flowers.
Our podcast can also be found on Spotify or iTunes.
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