A Tomato Tax Break?

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Known as the Tomato Garden Tax Break, the Urban Agricultural Incentive Zone Program (UAIZ), will help LA locals by allowing vacant and privately owned land in the county to be transformed into urban farms.

Approved on September 22nd by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, this policy will not only add more green spaces, and but also help create healthy local foods and possibly help decrease food deserts. The potential access and security to healthier foods could benefit the largely urban and Latino population (48.4% Latino) in need of healthy food options.

Since July 2014,  the UAIZ program took sprout in San Francisco, one of the first jurisdictions to take advantage of the “tax break.” The support has come from all angles of the community, and may help move entrepreneurs into areas of urban farming, according to Camille de la Vega, the operations and communication coordinator for the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.

Many Latinos living within the city may benefit from this new program, as it can help provide healthy food access, save families money, and even offer new opportunities for increased income.

To learn more about this healthy change, click here.