trends in gardening, 2010

[Hattie the Hen]

I'm just chucking this in because I would like to hear what you think of this article......!!

http://www.cityfarmer.info/2010/02/...challenging-city-halls-to-rewrite-ordinances/

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[bid]

I can sympathize with her neighbors to an extent. It seems the increased traffic in a cul-de-sac might have been the straw that broke the camel's back that led to complaints to the zoning commision. On the other hand, $15,000.00 to APPLY for a conditional use permit? That is outrageous! I have to wonder if that is accurate.

Professor Morales offers a very good suggestion that "cities set up a one-stop-shop for urban farms, like they have for small business development, so that city farmers can deal with zoning, home business regulations and nuisance laws all in one place."

If you want people to start small business', then make it easy for them to comply with all the myriad requirements and regulations they are expected to follow.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I have just found this link while I was doing a bit more research on community gardening:

http://cidadessemfome.org/en/

After reading the opening page click on a couple of times 7 you wiill see a link at the top that says 'Galleries' ; open these up to see the results they are getting....!!

It made me think about the people in Haiti in the future & I hope that something like that can be encouraged there...!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[digitS']

I'm just chucking this in because I would like to hear what you think of this article......!!

http://www.cityfarmer.info/2010/02/...challenging-city-halls-to-rewrite-ordinances/

:rose Hattie :rose

It hits close to home, Hattie. When I expanded my greenhouse in my small backyard, I was right up against zoning requirements regarding roofs and open area for proper drainage.When it came time to decide what to do with my very old garage/shop built right into the corner on the property lines, I realized that if I rebuilt it, I'd need to shrink it down to practically nothing because of modern set-back requirements.

The neighbors have been great but I tell them that my backyard may look more like a farmyard thru much of the year and it has a year-around little flock of laying hens. During the growing season, I bring in buckets and coolers of flowers and vegetables from my distant gardens and destined for the farmers' market. Am I operating a "business" in a residential zone? . . . maybe.

One neighbor has completely graveled their backyard in front of a very large garage. The frontyard is manicured. I bet there aren't over 3 species of plants, counting the grass. The other neighbors have just moved - along with their endless stream of dogs, either alone or in groups of 3's. That small backyard is only 50% grass and, sometimes, 100% dog poop. Oh well, they kept up with it, somewhat.

One of my gardens is on property with a house and garage on 3 lots. The owner was a great gardener until he passed 80. His son is now the tenant. I worry each year that the son will get in trouble with the government because of his brush piles and piles of beer cans. I sometimes don't find it much fun working my lot sized garden there behind those piles of debris. Periodically, I listen to how busy he is while he spends 8 months of the year sitting on his duff and drinking beer. Nothing, I mean no-thing, changes there over the last 7 years that doesn't have my hand in it. I won't be cleaning up in front of his garage, however. Room for 3 cars, he not only can't get 1 car in there but he couldn't even drive a car up to that building because of the piles of junk.

"It takes all kinds" the saying goes but we do have to live with each other.

Steve

 

[patandchickens]

There is a thought, really... what would farmers do and how would they react if the home gardener got so common again, and farmers markets blew up to be such huge successes...? How would American Ag react?! What would there trends in sales determine they do to compete then? What would be a significant dip in sales or demand mean?

Sadly I do not think we are likely to find out, until enough OTHER things are severely changed enough ALSO that it's not just a result of people growing more of their own food.

But, that said, I am not sure there would be all that much difference if it happened "magically" (without any other changes in society or changes in farmers' ability to produce crops in the current manner).

I am under the impression that an awful lot of the big cash crops do not go directly to consumers anyhow (made into processed-food ingredients, shipped overseas, or made into non food products) and not too many people would be growing their own wheat rice etc *anyhow*, so a reasonable market would probably still exist to support prices.

As far as fruits and vegetables, there might (or might not, if people started eating more of 'em) have to be a significant reduction in production which would doubtless hurt a bunch of people, BUT I bet that a lot of producers (esp in CA and FL) would just switch to producing things people *can't* grow at home (tropical, exotic, totally out of season, etc) and those on less super-productive land might end up moving to polycultural systems that also produce some meat. And I think there is always going to be a good market for frozen vegetables, and for things trucked from warmer areas to areas still in the grip of winter.

So while there would definitely be some effects of a large swing towards growing a bunch of food at home, it might not be AS deep-cutting to all farmers as it might at first seem it would.

JMHO and of course totally wild speculation that I sincerely believe we will never see answered because other larger factors will intervene,

Pat

 

[digitS']

I have just found this link while I was doing a bit more research on community gardening:

http://cidadessemfome.org/en/ . . .

I think I'll use images from those So Paulo community gardens:

. . . and claim them as mine:

What do you think? Only a few thousand miles difference .

Thanks Hattie!

Steve
edited to say: that's my cutting garden but parts of the vegetable gardens are set up the same way. Other photo's are on my "Personal Page."