Press
Civil rights leader Ignacio Lopez advocated for Latinos. In Pomona, Lopez Urban Farm continues his legacy
March 17, 2026
Silvia Vega, left, and Sandra Sopon, of Fontana, harvest vegetables and herbal plants at Lopez Urban Farm March 6 in Pomona. (Gary Coronado / For De Los)
Less than a mile from the historic buildings that line Pomona’s downtown square, three acres of land are populated by trees, chickens roam free among vegetable sprouts and butterflies hover over blooming flowers.
Since opening in 2020, Lopez Urban Farm has used the space to grow fruits and vegetables, which are given out for free to Pomona residents. In doing so, it has helped address food insecurity in the area, which especially affects low-income residents, undocumented immigrants, seniors and unhoused community members.
WesternU College of Graduate Nursing unveils outdoor community kitchen at Lopez Urban Farm
December 3, 2025
By Rodney Tanaka| WesternU News
The College of Graduate Nursing, in collaboration with Lopez Urban Farm, launched Pomona’s first Outdoor Community Kitchen, bringing together students, leaders, and community partners to advance food access, food security and health equity. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Graduate Nursing, in collaboration with Lopez Urban Farm and the Pomona Unified School District, celebrated the opening of the Urban Kitchen, an outdoor community kitchen designed to bring community, education and wellness together.
The Outdoor Community Kitchen is a shared space at Lopez Urban Farm in Pomona, California, where students, faculty and community partners can collaborate, address public health challenges, and co-create solutions through innovation and partnership. The ribbon cutting took place Nov. 20, 2025, with several community partners in attendance, including Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval and Pomona City Councilman Victor Preciado.
Pomona salutes local civil rights hero
March 21, 2024
By Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com
Raquel Salazar-Castillo speaks during Monday’s Pomona City Council meeting, at which the body designated March 19 as Ignacio Lopez Day. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
The Pomona City Council passed a proclamation Monday designating March 19 as Ignacio Lopez Day in honor of the late civil rights activist and longtime Pomona resident. Mayor Tim Sandoval presented staff from Lopez Urban Farm a certificate to mark the day, and Raquel Salazar-Castillo, a communications intern at the farm, thanked the city council for its special designation.
“The proclamation of Ignacio Lopez, it just comes as a demonstration that anything is possible despite your background, or despite where you come from,” Salazar-Castillo said. “You can always make a change in your community, even though you’re not from the community.”