Neighborhood outlaws livestock and kitchen gardens

[SunnyAlberta]

A new family moved into the neighborhood and has complained about every bylaw infraction. Visible kitchen gardens, backyard poultry and rabbits are being reported. Is a self sufficient -- or at least healthy, humane and affordable -- possible in an area where urban farming isn't tolerated?

 

[LinkieLueville]

I don't know anything about urban farming since I'm out in the country, but if I were in that position, I would probably walk up to their door step and ask what it is about your low impact, sustainable lifestyle that bothers them. Maybe offer them some fresh veggies and fresh eggs. Show them what you're doing, why and help them understand that what you're doing is good.

 

[ShellLea]

It can be hard to convert folks who are accustomed to getting what they need from the store rather than raising, growing, or making it themselves. When I put in a rather large garden on a rather small lot in my old neighborhood I got quite a few funny looks. Along with calls to the police for every little thing, including the children splashing in the pool, (the neighbor's fence got wet). Then we started giving the food from the garden to people in the neighborhood. The single moms and dad's, the elderly, the guy that was in an accident and missed two weeks of work. By the end of the summer we had volunteers working in our garden almost daily, the comlaints and weird looks had stopped, and the police happy jerks next door put in a garden and picked up where we left off when we moved. Just keep trying with the neighbors and see if you can get some of those laws changed. If enough people are interested, or at least not protesting, it can be done!

 

[SunnyAlberta]

ShellLea, I love your approach to community building. Thank you. I will continue with my garden project. Maybe I can turn some people around.

 

[ShellLea]

Just make sure you grow enough to share!

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Well it will be baby steps to the "sharing" phase. I must put fences around my gardens because I have two big dogs that love to dig and to eat veggies.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

GARDENS? There are actually bylaws against growing a visible kitchen garden? Providing it's not a weed bed - which can happen with an ornamental garden or just your average lawn - I can't imagine why there would be a problem with vegetable gardens. Personally, I find them beautiful.

I'd never consider living in a place with bylaws. No way. No how.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

I suspect the bylaw is there so that a complaint would be enforceable. There is a gorgeous veggie garden in the front yard of a house in another neighbourhood. Rows of cabbage and carrots are perfectly groomed and have been that way for over twenty years. As long as no-one complains, the garden may remain. It would be sad, however, if a neighbour had a messy garden and bylaw officers had to come around.


In the case of backyard chickens, if they aren't noisy, dirty or neglected I think there should be no bylaw against them.

 

[MetallicBlue]

There is a story of that same thing happening to a couple kinda near where I live. I tell ya, I feel for them! We just moved from an obnoxious subdivision with by-laws which I can only equate to stupidity on a stick. We had originally bought the place because that was all we could get due to not having credit. I'm so glad to be out, words can't even begin to explain. The way the couple down here seemed to handle it was an outpouring of support for them and their garden. Now the city of Orlando is re-looking at it's ordinances. It seems that the city is willing to make some changes to allow the front yard garden. I don't believe it's all hammered out yet, but it's a start. I'm glad at least they are looking and trying to revise. It does show that sometimes when you talk with them, they will listen.

Here is the url for the latest on this case:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...s-front-yard-gardens-20130115,0,7386168.story

 

[DHinton]

There is a story of that same thing happening to a couple kinda near where I live. I tell ya, I feel for them! We just moved from an obnoxious subdivision with by-laws which I can only equate to stupidity on a stick. We had originally bought the place because that was all we could get due to not having credit. I'm so glad to be out, words can't even begin to explain. The way the couple down here seemed to handle it was an outpouring of support for them and their garden. Now the city of Orlando is re-looking at it's ordinances. It seems that the city is willing to make some changes to allow the front yard garden. I don't believe it's all hammered out yet, but it's a start. I'm glad at least they are looking and trying to revise. It does show that sometimes when you talk with them, they will listen.

Here is the url for the latest on this case:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...s-front-yard-gardens-20130115,0,7386168.story

Looking at the picture in that story... is the GARDEN the eye-sore when looking at the other yards that you can see in that picture? it's not like it's beatifully upkept super green lawns in that neighborhood.

when did we become a nation that outlawed food? i was raised by my grandparents and we were in a city subdivision, at least HALF the people in the neighborhood had gardens. the only complaints ever made were when the men started comparing who had the best/biggest/tastiest tomatoes, or whatever.