Oh good, the world sucks again, today

[clevermanka]

Another shitty news story about governments wanting to control what you eat. Just what we all wanted, right? Check out roya_spirit's LJ entry yesterday about Kansas City’s planning and zoning committee vote to recommend a measure prohibiting people from growing produce in their own fucking yards.

And mckitterick informed me that CREDO removed the EFF from their list of donation recipients.

Because, you know, I needed to write more letters.

Jesus Tits.

Comments

[mikalay.livejournal.com]

The Kansas City thing is actually just "row crops" in front yards - particularly things like corn. But if it's not in a row....
The measure also makes it legal for people to sell their vegetables out of their own house (despite the federal goverments soon-to-be-restrictions on that), as well as making it more legal to take over vacant lots to grow vegetables....so there's some good and bad - and the official vote is on the 10th. I'd go, but I don't get out of work that early.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! That's much less offensive than what's explained in the article. Good to know. Aren't row crops also more likely to attract mice and rats, too? I thought I read that somewhere.

[mikalay.livejournal.com]

Nothing I've read shows that anyone is worried about pests - just 3am vegetable sales ('cause you know those prego-ladies are crazy about carrots at 3am), and "ugly" lawns. So if you plant corn in trangle formation - you're ok. They also have to revisit the ordinance in 6 and 18months, to make changes, adjustments, and admit mistakes.

But apparently noone inforces city ordinances here anyhow so.....

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Nothing I've read shows that anyone is worried about pests - just 3am vegetable sales

What baffles me about this part is--why don't they just enforce current zoning laws? Wouldn't commercial vs. residential zoning clarification solve this? If your house isn't zoned for commercial use, you can't use it to sell items to in-house customers. Why do they need to create a whole new law?

[mikalay.livejournal.com]

It all stemmed from the BadSeed farm thing last year - it was a Urban Farming co-op, and the only thing going on were some tomatoes planted on the side of the house rather than in back, and people picking up their co-op boxes at the house rather than at the Bad Seed store downtown. A neighbor threw a fit, and they started going through "home buisness" ordinances and the whole thing snowballed....

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

A neighbor threw a fit, and they started going through "home buisness" ordinances

I hate people.

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

me too.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

*groan* Typical government, make a NEW LAW because of one single incident rather than just ticketing the offender or something, oh you know, rational.

[funky-peacenik.livejournal.com]

They actually threw the book and then some at BadSeed- which then outraged many... many.. people. And now you have codes, most of which are improved over the previous ones.

Also- keep in mind that this code is a compromise (of sorts)that was developed by the council. Before this BadSeed (or any other Urban Farm with a business in a residential neighborhood could not have apprentices or volunteers, without getting fined. So I couldn't go have dinner with my friends there and pick a piece of mint for my tea, without my friends getting fined.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just wow.

I recently moved back from (unregulated, dare I say it, hickish) Oklahoma and in most ways being back a vast improvement. But that's just going a little too far for my peace of mind.

[funky-peacenik.livejournal.com]

The best part was the nieghbor who threw a fit only owned the house, but hadn't actually lived there for like 6 years. She blamed BadSeed for her inability to sell her over priced house.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Niiiiiiice.

[funky-peacenik.livejournal.com]

I wish I could find some of the qoutes from her from last year- they were AMAZING.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Ugh, my first question would be "who bought Credo out?"

As for the gardening issue, the ordinance specifically says No Row Crops in Front Yards. Soooo... how about Square Foot Gardening? (http://www.squarefootgardening.com/whatissfg) It would shut up the detractors who think "rows" are ugly in front lawns.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

my first question would be "who bought Credo out?"

It might just be an issue of not enough people were voting to give it donations, so it got dropped from their list. It's still disappointing, though.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I see, they choose depending on member votes.
That's a shame, I would hope that more people would get behind that issue.

I suppose we'll have to depend on the Libertarians to push for it ;)

[stuology.livejournal.com]

It is only a ban on front yard gardens, not gardens in general. And it is mainly to address concerns about people turning their yards into markets. They are not banning people from growing their own food for themselves and their friends. It also defines some special use permits or something to run a CSA.

I don't think it is all pleasing, especially on fees and permits needed for CSAs, but I don't think it is all bad either. The opinions on Facebook from the circle of KC farmer market types seems split. I think the ban on front yard gardens is stupid. It is your yard, and you should be able to grow food anywhere you want. What about people who have done edible landscaping?

Here is the actual ordinance: http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/LiveWeb/Documents/Document.aspx?q=gwQ25M6kfLBpQAH2KArtCVQTuNiMyZkVhPHNtnlPCMYJ%2b2FvKs5bOtLbpVG3Tq5a

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

This is the third time where this particular link has gotten cut off when transformed by some comment system. Here is the tinyURL. I haven't read it all yet, just a couple people's interpretations.

http://tinyurl.com/27lm9w7

I think that original article that roya posted was a bit alarmist and not a rational look at it. I think it is still changing a bit, from what I've read.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I think it is still changing a bit, from what I've read.

That's reassuring and very good to know. Thank you! And thanks for the tinyurl, too.

[rougewench.livejournal.com]

The reason people grow in their front yards often in KCMO is that back yards, in the older parts of the city are often too shaded to work (or the trees involved are Oaks...the walnuts dropping mucks with the acidity of the soil around the tree -- we have both of those problems with our house actually).

Very small lots, and a need to follow the sun...that's what dictates where someone can grow.

Very frustrating...very poor approach to legislation. Not surprising from what I've seen come out of the City Council here.


D.