Saturday, September 24, 2011

Julie Bass has moved, but the fight continues



As of last week, Julie's front yard garden has been removed. This week, she has moved to Seattle. Just the same, her struggle for other's freedom to raise food continues.

From the Washington Post: Adam Guerrero’s Memphis garden deemed ‘a nuisance’ (UPDATE)
Adam Guerrero keeps a garden in his Memphis yard, where the math teacher’s students come over to help tend the eggplant, tomato and pepper plants. Around back, there are worm bins, rainwater barrels and beehives. The students make biodiesel and soap in the garage.

This tiny ecosystem has been ordered destroyed.

Guerrero’s garden was found in violation of two city ordinances, the Memphis Flyer reports, and has been deemed a “nuisance.” It must be dismantled by Friday.
...
Guerrero will appear in court Friday to show that he has removed the garden. In the meantime, his supporters will keep pushing for his garden to stay firmly planted.
Julie Bass even makes a cameo in the article.
If the odd idea of an illegal garden sounds familiar, it is. Julie Bass faced jail time in July for refusing to remove her Michigan garden, which was found not “suitable.” The charges were later dropped.
Fortunately, Guerrero's day in court brought good news.
Update: Judge Larry Potter told Adam Guerrero that he may keep his Memphis garden if he makes a few changes, including keeping the front yard trimmed and reducing the number of worm bins on his property.
Julie Bass made an unnamed cameo in another news story I read earlier today. This one happens to be good news.

From Take Part: Front Yard Farmer's Markets Coming to L.A.?
While some cities have decided they would rather arrest people who show off their home vegetable gardens in their front yards, Los Angeles appears to be moving in the opposite direction.

By way of the fine folks at Curbed, we learned that planning officials in L.A. are debating a proposal to allow Angelenos who grow their own food to set up farmer's markets in residential areas.
Here's what Curbed reported.
The City Planning Commission will hear a proposed ordinance tomorrow that will allow farmers' markets in residential zones (with a permit) and streamline the approval of farmers' markets in other zones (i.e., agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and parking zones). Farmers' markets are currently banned in residential neighborhoods, but, in keeping with the trend for retro-agrarian chic, the new ordinance would allow homeowners to grow and sell food at their homes. This follows the 2010 ordinance that allows people to grow fruits, nuts, and flowers at their houses with the intent to sell.
As an expatriate Angelino, I approve.

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