While Compton was originally founded as a thriving agricultural community famous for its dairy farms, sugar beets, and fertile flood-plain soil, modern Compton is heavily urbanized. Commercial agriculture is virtually nonexistent today.
However, a unique exception is the neighborhood of Richland Farms, which retains its agricultural and equestrian zoning. Here, residents keep horses, chickens, and small livestock on large lots, maintaining a unique semi-rural lifestyle in the middle of the Los Angeles metropolis. Community gardens and small-scale urban farming initiatives also exist to promote food security and community health.