Urban Agriculture

[Springfield Chicken]

Why I support urban agriculture

What is urban agriculture, you ask?  It can be as simple as a tomato plant in your backyard or as involved as a chicken coop with hens that lay your breakfast. 

Now my thumb has never been terribly green but I have found that I enjoy discovering which vegetables are idiot-proof and then going out into my yard for a tomato or a bell pepper fresh off the stalk.  Still warm from the sun, sometimes they don’t even make it into a salad and I just wash them off and eat them over the kitchen sink.

Do I have the skill or the time to have a large garden?  No.  But some of my neighbors do and they are willing to share their abundance with me even though I can’t reciprocate with much of my own.  Those folks take pride in their gardens and put in a lot of effort into growing their own food.

Even though I am allowed to do the same, I won’t.  I don’t have the time or inclination.  The same is true of those folks who have hens in order to get fresh eggs.  I’ve eaten some of those eggs and it’s like the difference in a store bought tomato and a home grown one.  Home “grown” eggs just taste better.

Some of my hen-owning friends have kids and what better way to teach kids about good nutrition, as well as responsibility, than to involve them in keeping hens.  There are chores and the rewards you get from owning any animal.  Chickens do have personalities and watching a hen take a “dirt bath” never ceases to amuse me (yes, I know they do it to remove bugs and stay healthy but it still makes me smile).

Keepings hens is no different than keeping any animal.  They all come with responsibilities.  Dogs need a place to run, and their poop cleaned up.  A responsible dog owner gives the animal shelter and food, and makes sure the dog gets the necessary vaccinations.  Responsible hen owners do the same thing â€" a proper coop, the right food, and care.

Back in older times, a sense of community was a part of life.  Neighbors knew neighbors.  They shared; they saw each other outside in their yards or on their front porches.  Not anymore.  People drive into their garages which connect to the house, and you never see them again.

Urban agriculture is more than just a return to healthier eating or teaching responsibility.  It’s a return to community.  “Here, take some of my tomatoes.”  “Hey, I brought you some fresh eggs.”  I want that in my life.  Shouldn’t we all?

[avs]

There will be an Urban Ag forum in Springfield on March 15 to discuss legislation specific to Springfield to make Springfield the Urban Ag center of the city.  Springfielders, come out and give your input

March 15, 2012 from 7-8:30pm at the Woman's Club

[IamAmerican]

I know there has been a lot of talk about urban gardening in Jacksonville. Does someone know if the city is on it's way to making this allowable? Springfielders, do you think that kind legislation will pass?

So, what I hope won't happen: They city gives it a thumbs-up then also adds stupid requirements to make it difficult to accomplish. Please please please do not require an "urban farming license."

[IamAmerican]

Article about San Francisco urban farming. The original legislation required an "ornamental" fence to be placed around the garden! That was challenged and removed. They require a license, about $300.00. This should not be. I hope whoever is leading this cause in Jacksonville will try to remove as many barriers to entry as possible.

http://civileats.com/2011/04/14/san-francisco-passes-most-progressive-urban-agriculture-policy-in-u-s/

[dougskiles]

Here is what we are up against - this from an email I received earlier this year:

My GOSH - - NO !!!! Not if in SF residential areas or in CO areas. !!  NO, NO, NO... Don't want to see them in Residential Condo or Apartment areas either.

We have had enough problems with those things. They STINK !! We are desperately trying to save our older neighborhoods from looking like a rundown Trailer Park areas....or Redneck Areas..     It's bad enough that we have one resident with a clothesline and he's tied up his hound dog to it !!

The chickens get out, they poop all over the neighbors' yards and driveways!! They SCRATCH up the neighbors' flower beds.  In one instance a few years ago, after one neighbor warned and warned and warned a Hispanic couple next door that she wasn't tolerating the chickens on her driveway, at her front door and scratching up her flower beds ANY LONGER-- she carried through on her promise to them-- > She caught every one of them in her yard, (which was about 12 that day), killed them, plucked and cleaned, and put them up in her freezer for eating.  Neighbors came and asked "Where are our chickens?"  She pointed- - "In my freezer waiting for me to stew them!"

And we have turned in roosters over and over and over. Oh, what an annoyance. !! Game and cock fighting.  Plus- -serving stud service. And the crowing at all hours waking up people who are trying to sleep and go to WORK !!  and children trying to get some sleep for school.

We've even seen several chickens walking across Rogero Road !! Someone is going to get killed and it might not be the chicken !

No -- No.

[avs]

This is why it needs to be regulated, though and not a free for all - which is basically the situation that the city has created by criminalizing urban ag.  With structure and parameters and city oversight, it ensures that those who want to participate do so in a way that doesn't interfere with their neighbors. 

[BridgeTroll]

This is why it needs to be regulated, though and not a free for all - which is basically the situation that the city has created by criminalizing urban ag.  With structure and parameters and city oversight, it ensures that those who want to participate do so in a way that doesn't interfere with their neighbors. 

How would you regulate it?  Structure, parameters and oversight would require the creation an urban ag commisioner and requisite team of inspectors

[IamAmerican]

@Dougskiles, so she's not into it, huh?

It's funny how we react about the few that will invariably be irresponsible. We can have the same sort of fear mongering for dog/cat ownership. "Oh my, no no no, people should not own cats. My neighbor down the road owns ten. She's covered in cat hair and sings to the moon while wrapped in aluminum foil.  In fact, I think I can make a pretty strong case for dogs being banned from the more populated urban communities because of the ridiculous amounts of poop that lingers on every square foot of grass (read -south beach miami).

When societies demand to be empowered those same societies have to deal with the inevitable fear of, well, change. It's part of the equation. From severely serious social issues to seemingly inconsequential ones, we're still unsure if we can we can handle freedom, in the hands of many. 

[IamAmerican]

@AVS, I disagree with you. Let there be a free for all.  At least with a free for all we can learn and adjust as necessary. We should stop being so afraid of what can go wrong and think about the endless possibilities of what will go right. We don't need licenses. We don't need a separate department. There should be no more code enforcement on this then there is on lawn maintenance.

[avs]

I would love to see no regulation, but that is not how other cities are doing it.  It isn't necessary to create a commissioner or department for oversight.  An annual permit or small fee special exception can accomplish the same things and generate small revenue for the city to accomodate for this.  Letting things go free for all is a sure path to angering neighbors and getting the whole thing thrown out.  There will always be the worst case scenario folks who may get in over their heads or not be considerate to those around them - using a permit or small fee special exception is a good way to weed those folks out.  This has to work for everyone, not just those of us who want to live our lives in a certain manner.

[IamAmerican]

I hope that we err on the side of less red tape is better than more. A simple set of codes is all we need. I don't think there should be a fee or license requirement at all.

[Overstreet]

I hope that we err on the side of less red tape is better than more. A simple set of codes is all we need. I don't think there should be a fee or license requirement at all.

There is a simple set of codes ............... and it prohibits farm animals in many parts of town.

[Springfield Chicken]

I'd like to see good legislation written and approved for hen keeping, similar to what's in cities all over the country.  As a matter of fact, the number of cities allowing hen keeping has doubled in the past year.  I have friends who have hens in other places and they are surprised when they come here and find it isn't allowed.  As a Realtor I can also attest to the fact that having hens doesn't hurt property values.  Most folks find it charming, especially in the historic districts - it's actually quite authentic.  Bring on the hens!

[lucinda]

There was a chicken raising seminar held at the cooperative extension office last Tuesday.  Well over 200 people attended.  The last speaker talked about the code restrictions for raising backyard hens.  She has started a group called Hens in Jax that is working to change the ordinance.  There are some restrictions involved (i.e. keeping the hens enclosed, no roosters, etc.), but nothing that can't be easily accomplished.
Here is a link to the petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/hens4jax/petition.html
I'm not able to find a website for the organization, but they have a facebook page.

[Debbie Thompson]

There are people who don't take care of their dogs and cats either, but they are allowed to have them.  Had the hens in San Francisco been in a coop, or had their wings clipped, and been well cared for, they would not have been an issue.