Who needs the countryside? Farming Los Angeles

The Los Angeles River bed is a vast concrete trough through the city that remains dry except for the occasional flood that it channels away from the city to the Pacific Ocean.

A study by the private, nonprofit Los Angeles River Revitalization Corp. envisions converting 660 down-at-the-heels industrial acres along the riverbed into an urban Eden where food is grown, processed and distributed.

The project would not only create jobs, but also bring fresh produce to an urban food desert. And it could beautify the area, attracting new businesses and residents. 

The plan cites four areas along the river where buildings and businesses already exist as an infrastructure to specialize in outdoor cultivation, indoor farming and food processing, and open-air markets. 

Backers are working to recruit partners, woo regulators and persuade the city to put up seed money.