As surprising as it may seem, you actually don’t have the right to grow your own fruits and vegetables on your own private property.
In some states- Florida, namely- people have beenfined thousands of dollarsfor planting vegetable gardens andeven gone to prisonfor trying to live off the grid. Last week, though, the state of California took a stand against the tyranny of the suburban lawn by passing the Neighborhood Food Act.
That’s huge.
The Neighborhood Food Act, AB 2561, is just one ofseveral sustainable foods billssigned into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown last week. Designed to removes barriers to growing food for personal consumption, the bill ensures that people have the right to grow food for themselves regardless of their housing status, and includes provisions that would completely overturn local zoning ordinances that prohibit growing food in front yards, backyards, or otherwise vacant lots.
This is assuming they’re owned by the grower in “residential” areas and other types of zones. Furthermore, the Neighborhood Food Act guarantees tenants’ and members of homeowner’s associations’ rights to grow food for personal consumption by voiding contrary language in existing lease or homeowner’s associations agreements.
The news will, doubtless, be welcomed by hobbyist gardeners, homesteaders, and the prepper communities, alike- and serves to show how those movements are growing. Hopefully, a number of Californians will- despite the drought- find a way to grow healthy, nurturing produce that enhances their communities as it improves their food security. Now we just need to get the other 49 states on board with the grow-your-own philosophy of self-reliance … what could be more American than that?
California Gov. Jerry Brown
Source:SELC
CATRYNA49says
After some of the hideous laws he has passed recently, it’s about time he’s did something right. Thank goodness for some kind of sense going on in that head. But, the very fact that a law would have to be enacted for something that the government, only a short while ago, actually demanded of everyone as their patriotic duty, is just short of nuts.
Sandra Bellsays
你把我想说的话(手指)说了出来。说得很好,很真实。我永远无法理解为什么布朗(环境先生)继续分配越来越多的土地给石油/天然气工业用于水力压裂,这不仅是可怕的污染和对地球的干扰,而且使用了大量的水。这是犯罪。顺便说一句,我在院子里种水果和蔬菜已经几十年了。我的院子,我的右边。
Your1Friendsays
Great news. The Jerry I once knew.
Everyone has the right to grow their own food on their own property. Everyone.
richardsays
Every should have the right to own land in the first place!!Ban money and have an RBE!!!
Your1Friendsays
Is it true that it is illegal in Florida (or parts of Florida) to grow your own food?
Of course, Florida is a backward, conservative, and corrupt state, but to be forbidden to grow your own food sounds pretty repressive.
Of course, Republicans (and not a few Democrats) are by nature repressive.
Evji108says
It is mostly the condo and neighborhood associations that don’t want messy vegetable gardens cluttering up the neighborhood landscaping.
Eric Smithsays
And most of the condo and neighborhood associations are made up of retirees from the liberal Northeast who want to regulate the hell out of everything anyway, “because that is how we do it in Noo Yawk.”
Evji108says
你假装不知道富裕的共和党人喜欢他们的社区安全、干净、没有垃圾、废弃汽车和杂草,就像富裕的民主党人一样。全国各地的新社区都有社区协会规则。你的做法是典型的右翼策略,就是在事实不符合他们的情况下编造谎言。
Peter Kosensays
And of course to counter what you see as a wrong in the other guy’s post, you need to make up your own lie about what he said.
Smokessays
And Florida has a MUCH HIGHER percentage of Homeowners Associations (HOA). Just so the haves (owners) can push around the have nots (renters). Disgusting.
Eric Smithsays
You ever been to FL? Parts are like New York South, esp in the gated retirement communities. And of course, one expects such snobbish behavior among the supposedly snobbish Republicans, but the irony is especially delicious when it turns out that the Northeastern liberals who populate such communities, the ones touting brotherhood and equality and fairness, suddenly start passing all sorts of rules that in effect keep “riff-raff” (read: people of color who are poor) out of their HOAs and gated communities. #hypocrites
Eric Smithsays
可悲的是,这是真的。没有什么比让外人进来,开始对你指手画脚,告诉你他们知道什么对你最好。自由主义者就是这么做的!
Sandra Bellsays
Why must you slap on a label (liberal) and (Northeast)? That’s what’s wrong with the world — so many people can’t see a situation clearly and just keep choosing a warlike, us and them mentality. Just so you know — wasteful, unenlightened snobbery is not a red or blue thing. It comes in both rich colors.
Eric Smithsays
You ever been to FL? Parts are like New York South, esp in the gated retirement communities. And of course, one expects such snobbish behavior among the supposedly snobbish Republicans, but the irony is especially delicious when it turns out that the Northeastern liberals who populate such communities, the ones touting brotherhood and equality and fairness, suddenly start passing all sorts of rules that in effect keep “riff-raff” (read: people of color who are poor) out of their HOAs and gated communities. #hypocrites
Eric Smithsays
可悲的是,这是真的。没有什么比让外人进来,开始对你指手画脚,告诉你他们知道什么对你最好。这是自由主义的方式!
Captain Scorpiosays
You don’t seem to know much about the “liberal Northeast”. New York (haha, transliterate the accent — badly — that’s clever) = home of Pataki, Giuliani… hell, Bloomberg was only a nominal Democrat, he’d been a Republican all his life until he ran for mayor, and he governed like one. The state senate has been Republican dominated for most of last 80 years, except for two brief moments in 2009… even now, it’s run by a Democrat/Republican coalition.
Eric Smithsays
I live in the bluest of the blue states, Massachusetts. This corrupt one party state of PC apparatchiks is your dream. Not mine.
Eric Smithsays
Bloomberg grew up in Newton, MA and was a lifelong Dem until he came to NYC and switched to the GOP so he could get elected as mayor on the coattails of Giuliani after 9/11.
Sandra Bellsays
也许当食物变得稀缺时,他们会放松下来,分清轻重缓急,事实也的确如此。
艾伦Greenhomesays
In my state,NM, implementing a law like that would start an armed insurrection, I think.
Todd Zimmermansays
More than just curious Alan, why do you think that would cause such a problem in your state? This is a sincere request, I do want to understand the mindset. I would appreciate it if you would take a few moments to share your thoughts on this a bit more deeply.
艾伦Greenhomesays
Many in New Mexico garden on residential lots. Both old established families and recent arrivals are advocates for the right to grow our own food. To take away such a basic human right would be completely unacceptable to many. Urban Agriculture is about to explode as water supplies become unpredictable and Urban Ag uses only 10% of the water of industrial ag. AParallelWorld.com/food-security
Smokessays
I’m curious as well Alan. Please help us understand your local issues.
John L. Batteysays
How about a school that tells your child she isn’t allowed to share the fruits or vegetable from the home garden because they aren’t government inspected and then sends a note home saying that un-inspected produce should not be packed in your child’s lunch.
Your1Friendsays
The produce from your home garden probably is much healthier than the “food” from our toxic agricultural brothels.
今天的杀虫剂、除草剂和转基因作物必须被淘汰。
Bobsays
接下来就是山羊和鸡了。取消地方统治,让中央政府接管。
Evji108says
no school is doing that
Eric Smithsays
What happens when people start to collect rainwater? Will the govt. be as generous then?
Gene Poolsays
We already are
Michtousays
事实上,不允许收集雨水是有正当理由的。这与补充地下水位和保持流域健康有关。
Eric Smithsays
所以政府也拥有雨水和云?
Ned B.says
Next step: make it legal to grow your own pot.
Smokessays
It is Ned, with a medical reason.
lakuasays
Not good enough. It must be legal for recreational use as well.
Willis Newtonsays
All use is medical whether you know it or not.
lakuasays
That may be true, but we shouldn’t need a doctor’s recommendation to use it. Here in WA anyone over 21 can walk into a store and buy it. It should be like that everywhere.
Gene Poolsays
Stupid Flanders !! DOH !!
艾伦Greenhomesays
The right to grow your own food is legal in most places, right? Moving agriculture closer to home has many benefits, less energy, less chemicals and less water to start with. Commercial Urban Agriculture is part of the #ParallelStrategy. AParallelWorld.com
Leslie Martinezsays
Finally does something right,
Smmmart1says
自己种植食物是你能做的最健康的事情之一。当维生素和营养成分大部分的时候,可以在成熟的时候采摘。这是一部对加州人有帮助的好法律。
Cynthia Gurinsays
This article misrepresents the Florida comment. The fine was for a zoning code violation, planting a large vegetable garden in the front yard of a Miami Shores home. (Perfectly legal to grow vegetables in the back yard) Zoning intent, perfectly reasonable in this very nice subdivision, is to maintain property values.
Michtousays
Grass is not prettier than vegetables. I might be more likely to buy a home in a place where people can grow in their front yards! Less cookie-cutter conformity, more human values.
Cynthia Gurinsays
令人高兴的是,你可以选择购买一套房子,在你的前院可以种植成排的玉米、豆茎、西红柿和南瓜,或者,你可以选择购买一套只在后院种植蔬菜的房子。你不能随意选择无视现有的法规。
Michtousays
Well, yeah, I can buy in California.
Cynthia Gurinsays
迈阿密的社区里绝对不乏可以在前院种蔬菜的地方。
Richard A Hillsays
啊,是的,“财产价值”——对自以为是和自负的人来说是如此重要。我不会在一个人们更关心“房产价值”而不太关心房产价值的地区买房。
那些人是恐龙,正在灭绝。再过几十年,他们就会不复存在,或者都搬到古巴和哥斯达黎加去了,我们就可以住在自己的家里,而不是被病态地驱使着去“展示”他们。
…
我支持对房主的绝对权利:种植蔬菜,把房子漆成紫红色,享受你的家。The only ordinance I favor is the noise ordinance 10p-6a M-F and midnight to 8am on Sa Su.
..
“property values” – please see the graphic from gene pool below
Cynthia Gurinsays
In America and elsewhere, especially now when the middle class is being slowly strangled to death, a family’s home typically represents their most valuable investment. When well maintained, a home also increases in value at a far greater pace than money in a savings account or in an investment in stocks and bonds. While one may cavalierly eschew the emotional and financial security related to home ownership, preferring instead the freedom to paint one’s house fuschia, raise chickens, corn, tomatoes and cabbage in the front yard and have a rusted pickup truck up on blocks, another family may prefer to live in a well maintained neighborhood with the assurance that when it comes time to take advantage of their home equity, they actually have some. That equity comes in pretty handy when it comes time to pay for college, cover a medical emergency, use it to cover moving expenses in the event of a job transfer, make a down payment on another property, etc.etc.etc. Everyone has their own priorities, a fuschia paint job is important to you, someone else’s nest egg for their retirement will be important to them. Happily there are neighborhoods available for each preferred lifestyle. That’s why there are zoning regulations and deed restrictions. If you have a couple of acres in an area zoned Agricultural, you’re probably not going to be wild about the idea of a developer buying up the land next door with plans to put in a zillion cookie cutter apartments for cranky old people who will constantly bitch at you. You can oppose that developer’s rezoning request and tell the city council you didn’t buy acreage and build your dream home out there just so some clown developer could screw it up for you and your neighbors. There are reasons for everything, Richard.
Elizabethsays
Here is hoping people test their soil first. It is important to know what is in your soil before you start growing food.
ActinUpinTexassays
The laws in certain areas are put into place because of the problem with critters…. rats, squirrels, roaches, bugs….in neighborhoods meant for housing and very close together lots… Compost piles, unpicked fruit, rotten fruit left to spoil on the ground, water consumption etc….. Leave us face it there are companies like Apple that need to be catered to in California (exemptions and waivers made for their benevolent sacrifices and massive land grab in a land locked valley the average Jane and Joe citizen cannot afford to rent or buy property in), that their mother ship in the interior is supposed to be touting the fruits and vegetable growing it requires to fill it’s many self contained food shacks for their employee congregation. Self contained, and self reliant is key to understanding the mindset of the liberal left…. not for all but for the select few. There’s nothing any liberal does for the whole of mankind, there’s always, always an asterisk. Think Zombie apocalypse…. or Kingdom with a moat built for the end of times.
Mark Corensays
如果要寻找在加州被迎合的公司,名单上的第一名将是杏仁种植者,他们的用水量和做法与加州的环境需求和利益背道而驰。
Sandra Bellsays
That’s true about almonds needing lots of water and growing them in California is nuts (so to speak). However, animal agriculture is, by far, the highest user of water, but no one is talking much about that because they are more addicted to hamburgers than to almonds. Neither belongs in California.
Sandra Bellsays
我们又来了——把一个巨大的“自由”标签贴在一些全面体现的东西上,这些东西是独立的,不只是红色或蓝色的。当人们一直使用“自由主义者”和“右翼分子”的术语时,我意识到他们需要清醒过来,看到事情的本来面目。
ActinUpinTexassays
Left my home state because of the total take over by the Democrat led lunacy regarding environmental laws and the anti-mfg business mentality…. easy for the upper echelon to sit in their ivory towers in their business suits and Prada quite another when you are a high school graduate and there are no funds to go to college and strap $100,000.00 on to your back to degree up. Big Tax evading Corps in California could have and should have been investing in the citizenry here in America (Without being told to do so or creating a law to mandate it) Vocational schools and factory assembly work options…. Instead we have the taxpayers paying for uneducated non-trained in anything welfare recipients and the jobs being sent to China (the biggest polluter by far on the planet)….. Yeah Apple building a Environmental mini-kingdom while they create a product that is manufactured outside of our nation away from the restraints of the ECO standards they would have to abide by in California…… needless to say the parked offshore moneys they claim to not be able to bring back because of the costs…. The terms used to describe Liberals vs. conservatives are used because of mindset and ideology just as religion is. Good ideas also have to be practical ideas…. Although EVERYone should be eating more fruits and vegetables, smaller portions of meats, growing them is and always will be a problem on a global scale. I never had a problem growing a small garden in California… this new fluff law opens up community gardening, still need water though… good luck on that.
California Kidsays
I applaud the Governor.
Don Lovellsays
现在他需要去对付那些用ELF设备瞄准我们花园/园丁的人,由电子战专家控制,他们占领了社区,还是说园丁只是秘密战争行动的更多炮灰/目标?
John L. Batteysays
This is not a Liberal or Conservative idea, it’s a small government common sense American idea that serves freedom and the people – and probably a good salad.
Sam Skaafsays
There is a typo where it says Designed to removes barriers to growing.
Cal Griggssays
好消息!那么,水是从哪里来的呢?
YouStartedItsays
Talk about archaic laws!!
Granny Good-Lawsays
Not
good law, and before you throw organic homegrown tomatoes at me, listen
up. If the govt presumes the power to allow you to grow food, it also
presumes the power to forbid you to grow food. While on the surface, we
are tempted to kiss the jackboots and say “thank you, mass’ah” for
giving me privilege, you need to see beneath the facade. You already
如果你真的自由,你就有权利种植自己的食物!!
rightmindedsays
How about we just get the government (Fed, state, local, and HOAs) off our back witht the stupid laws in the first freaking place??? How stupid is a law telling you you can’t grow tomatoes on your own property??/ Wake up to the tyranny of big government, people!!!
Evji108says
HOA rules are not governmental. they are contractual. If the homeowners get together they can change the rules in their neighborhood.
Smokessays
If we all really get together, we can change the Government too. As Jefferson once said, “a little revolution every once in a while is a good thing!”
MontieRsays
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Jeremiah Johnsonsays
This is awesome. I had no idea there were so many laws against growing at home. I was raised on fresh vegetables from our gardens. No matter were we lived we always had a garden. Hope home gardens are trending this year.