Farmin' In The Hood

[peestandingup]

Given the amount of unused city land there really is no excuse the city can come up with..well..i'm sure they can and will but gorilla gardeing is a start.

I agree. What did that MetJax article say a while back? Something crazy like around 50% of the core is surface/empty lots & un-utilized spaces?? That's pretty crazy, but I'm sure the city will think of some lame excuse not to let this happen just like they do with everything else.

It seems for urban farming to take off in modern America, the city either has to A: Be super progressive or B: Be a complete bombed-out shell of its former self (like Detroit) where they just don't give a damn what people do with empty lots. It doesn't seem like there's anything in between those two. That needs to change.

[Kiva]

What do Talapia eat anyway?

Tilapia are vegetarian. Farmed tilapia are fed fish pellets made mainly of corn and soy. A lot of other farmed species, such as salmon, are carnivores, so have to be fed ground-up fish (not good for the environment, and more expensive).

[Garden guy]

Given the amount of unused city land there really is no excuse the city can come up with..well..i'm sure they can and will but gorilla gardeing is a start.

I agree. What did that MetJax article say a while back? Something crazy like around 50% of the core is surface/empty lots & un-utilized spaces?? That's pretty crazy, but I'm sure the city will think of some lame excuse not to let this happen just like they do with everything else.

It seems for urban farming to take off in modern America, the city either has to A: Be super progressive or B: Be a complete bombed-out shell of its former self (like Detroit) where they just don't give a damn what people do with empty lots. It doesn't seem like there's anything in between those two. That needs to change.

I'd pay for a lot to grow on in the city..maybe something like you'd pay a gardening fee to the city and it allows you to a certain sq ft of growing space in allotted areas...you'd get the space for lets say 2 years...i'm sure there are some restaurants that would love to have their produce so close.

[dougskiles]

SS is looking at ways we can get the aqua farming started - cool huh!  it will tie in well with the urban farm.

Noone is right - the COJ must change the ordinance so that its all legal.

So it is currently legal for me to have a Koi pond, but not a Tilapia pond?

[Sigma]

SS is looking at ways we can get the aqua farming started - cool huh!  it will tie in well with the urban farm.

Noone is right - the COJ must change the ordinance so that its all legal.

So it is currently legal for me to have a Koi pond, but not a Tilapia pond?

Doug - I believe (though not sure - so I would defer the fo-sho correct answer from Amanda) - that Tilapia farming falls under the same ordinance banning community gardening and backyard farming. 

There is some interesting and ridiculous "rules" in Jax - try putting up a shed or storage building on a empty lot in Springfield without a residential house on the property - not allowed.

I'm sure if you intended to use your Koi for some purpose - God forbid it be food or something horrendous, then you would be cited. But as long as they are "pets" then perfectly fine.

[dougskiles]

So as long as I name my Tilapia, it's ok...  Or perhaps as long as I provide fresh fish to my neighbors and they don't call code enforcement, I am ok.

Strange rules indeed.

[Sigma]

  I think you are right!

[peestandingup]

If there's no limit on how many Tilapia you can have as "pets", then I say exploit the hell out of that.

I'm all for the rules & stuff like that, but not for following stupid unjust laws. Especially ones that look out for corporate interests & not for individuals. And this kind of stuff reeks of that.

[avs]

The ordinanaces for aquafarming are part of a greater effort to chagne the ordinances for urbna farming.  The aquafarming  isn't written in but if they are going to be grown and sold, that needs to be written in.  We are having an urban ag forum Oct 6 at the JEA conference center, 6-730 pm

Several City Council people are showing interest.  The planning dept is supportive.  need council support and I agre, Gaffeny where are you?  He's been asked to sit down and discuss btw

[avs]

also, like the video showed, tilapia can live off of duckweed, which grows voacriously and is nutritiuos for them (and hens).  no feed required

[Garden guy]

also, like the video showed, tilapia can live off of duckweed, which grows voacriously and is nutritiuos for them (and hens).  no feed required

Duck weed could be a renewable resource of great magnitude...it grows like mad..it's also great in a compost bin...my chickens love it..rabbits love it..hmmm..i wonder what a duck weed fed rabbit tastes like?...hossenfeffer anyone?

[dougskiles]

Anybody got a backhoe?  I'm ready to dig a pond in my backyard.

[Garden guy]

Anybody got a backhoe?  I'm ready to dig a pond in my backyard.

When do you need it?

[north miami]

The ordinanaces for aquafarming are part of a greater effort to chagne the ordinances for urbna farming.  The aquafarming  isn't written in but if they are going to be grown and sold, that needs to be written in.  We are having an urban ag forum Oct 6 at the JEA conference center, 6-730 pm

Several City Council people are showing interest.  The planning dept is supportive.  need council support and I agre, Gaffeny where are you?  He's been asked to sit down and discuss btw

worth repeating

[drhandbook]

Amanda, thank you for all of your hard work in this area. I have over 100 heirloom tomato plants in an empty lot and hope they are not gone when I get back from vacation...