Dozens of West Sacramento residents urge council to secure long-term lease for 3 Sisters Gardens' Fifth & C farm

Dozens of West Sacramento residents packed the council chambers on Sept. 15 to urge the City Council to give a long-term lease to 3 Sisters Gardens for its Fifth & C farm, saying the nonprofit’s programs provide food to households in need, job and leadership training for youth and community resilience.

The organizers and volunteers who spoke — farmers, school volunteers, youth leaders and regular users of the farms — described the Fifth & C site as “a lifeline” for families in parts of the city the speakers called food deserts. “Spaces like TSG are not optional. They are essential,” said Chris Mercy, identifying herself as a community organizer, Air Force veteran and urban farmer who works with the group.

Speakers told the council the program donated more than 30,000 pounds of produce in the previous year and had already surpassed that amount this year. “We plan to finish the year stronger,” said Alfred Milborne, who spoke about starting the gardens and the program’s emphasis on training youth and distributing food. Multiple speakers — including program staff and farm leads — said the Fifth & C site currently operates under a month-to-month lease and asked the city to provide a longer-term lease so the nonprofit’s investments are not lost.

The public comment period included multiple people who identified themselves as 3 Sisters staff or farm leads. Jeremiah Frio, identified as a farm lead, said the site “is a safe space” that provides food and activities for youth. Alejandro Resendiz, who identified himself as the youth coordinator and assistant farm manager, urged support for programs that help youth learn urban agriculture and “green jobs.” Kat Bursi, who identified herself as farm manager, framed the organization as a climate and community resilience project: “We are a model for resistance and sustainability,” she said, adding a proverb: “Only when the last tree has been cut down...will we realize we cannot eat money.”

Other commenters described how the farm supplies weekly food to churches and community groups, runs internships and skills classes, and supports partnerships with Sacramento State students on soil and compost research. Several speakers asked the council to treat 3 Sisters as a community anchor and to allocate a long-term city lease for the Fifth & C farm. A number of speakers also suggested the city explore converting other vacant lots to community farms.

Council members did not take action on a lease during the meeting. The council proceeded later in the agenda to approve consent items and other business; no motion or vote to grant the farm a long-term lease appears in the record for this meeting. Several council members and staff acknowledged the public turnout and said staff would follow up. The city staff and council members who spoke at the meeting thanked speakers and asked staff to pursue next steps.

The public advocacy in the chambers was part of a larger conversation about vacant lots, food access and reuse of city property raised repeatedly during the meeting. 3 Sisters supporters — volunteers, farmhands, partnering nonprofit leaders, and students — said a multi-decade, month-to-month status on the parcel threatens the program’s continuity and requested a clear city timeline and formal negotiations for a long-term agreement.

No final lease, funding commitment or formal directive on a long-term lease is recorded in the council minutes of this meeting. Council staff and council members said they would continue discussions and work with the nonprofit and legal staff to determine available options and constraints.

Ending

Speakers asked the council to move from short-term permissions to a long-term lease and asked staff to return to council with options. City staff did not announce a schedule for returning a formal lease proposal to the council during the Sept. 15 meeting.