More and more people are turning to the “grow food, not lawns” movement for a variety of reasons. Some of us are urban farming revolutionaries, some of us are preppers, and some of us are just hobbyists who just want to show their kids what fresh tomatoes look like.
As the movement grows, however, some of “the powers that be” are moving to stomp it right down, issuing heavy fines on homeowners who choose to grow vegetables in place of flat green turf.
Back in March, we covered one Florida couple who was fined precisely for growing a food garden – despite the garden being there for decades – along with another Florida woman who was being evicted for her use of off-grid energy.
With that in mind, the guys at Collective Evolution have put together a list of some of these “not as isolated as you may think” incidents …
- Orlando, Florida, Regulations specify that planted shrubs “shall be a minimum of 24 inches in height” and “spaced not more than 36 inches apart.” The code lists approximately 295 approved and prohibited species of plants, trees and shrubs.
- In Oak Park, Michigan, officials have charged a woman with growing a “vegetable garden in front yard space.” If convicted, she could spend up to 93 days in jail.
- For 17 years, a couple used their front yard to grow food for their own personal consumption. But in May 2013, Miami Shores Village, Florida amended its ordinance to make clear that front yard vegetable gardens were prohibited.
- Earlier this year, city inspectors bulldozed more than 100 types of plants, including garlic chives, strawberry and apple mint, being grown by Denise Morrison in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The inspectors said her plants were too tall, but city code allows for plants over 12 inches if they’re meant for human consumption, which hers were. The woman is now suing the city for violating her civil rights.
- A man was fined $5,200 for growing vegetables in his Clarkston, Georgia backyard, which he not only consumed but also sold at farmers markets and shared with friends.
… along with a few guidelines for which animals are illegal to keep and raise in a given area. As you read through it, keep in mind that it was just a few generations ago that the US Government was, in fact, urging its citizens to plant gardens on their home property to help support food production and the war effort.
How times change …
Source | Photo: Collective-Evolution.
Growing our own is the BEST way to keep food costs down, and increase health by means of not being forced to ingest foods poisoned with chemicals and hormones. To FINE families for opting to grow is ridiculous. I know how delicious home grown fruits and vegetables taste, and I grow a lot of my own herbs as well. VIVA-LA-GARDENERS !!!
Thank you for posting this. The government is trying to control our food supply. In California they put forth a bill that you could not share seeds. So imagine that if you tried to share one of your homegrown tomatoes with the neighbor that would be against the law. Luckily the bill did not pass but I’m sure they will try some other way to make it happen.
This is crazy. There are so many people that are low income & food insecure. You would think that if people want to solve their food insecurities by growing food at home that it would be encouraged. But instead the government must want to see people food insecure. Also lots of people are finding out that even small amounts of herbicides & pesticides & the use of synthetic fertilizers allowed on food & in it’s production is detrimental to health. The cost of organic food is often very high. Pesticide, herbicide & synthetic free fertilizer food can be grown at home for pennies on the dollar. It is also a lot more nutritious than store bought food. Lack of nutritious food is the root cause of many health issues that humans are facing in this modern age. The choice to grow food at home should be a right & not able to be dictated by the government.