At L.A. County's largest Black-owned farm, healing grows from the ground up

"The economic strength of this country was built on the backs of enslaved Africans. As the third steward of this land, I think about in 1891, what was the condition of my people at that time? What was my great-great-grandfather's life like? And I think, would they be proud of me knowing that their great great grandson, or child, has had the baton passed to him to manage a land of this magnitude?"

"Visitors can explore Bloom Ranch through guided walking and driving tours that wind through orchards and fields while tracing the ranch's layered history. Releford, or another team member leading the tour, shares stories of the original homesteaders, Black agricultural innovators and the land's evolution over more than a century."

Bloom Ranch, a 250-acre property in Acton, became L.A. County's largest Black-owned farm when Dr. Bill Releford, a podiatric surgeon, singer, and author, purchased it in 2023. Originally established in 1891 by Swiss stonecutter George Blum, the ranch remained in his family for five generations before subsequent ownership. The property now features collard greens, kale, and signature peach orchards across irrigated beds. Releford renamed it Bloom Ranch to honor the original founder. The farm serves as a beacon for Black Angelenos and visitors, offering guided walking and driving tours that explore the ranch's history, original homesteaders, Black agricultural innovators, and land evolution. Releford reflects on ancestral pride and the historical significance of Black stewardship of substantial agricultural land.

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