A few years ago we didn't have all of this to enjoy because we rented and our only real yard was our front yard which was off limits for gardening for the most part. We wanted to plant a garden in the yard, but our landlords forbid us from doing so. Their reason? It wouldn't look good, in their opinion. So we planted things around the entire perimeter of the yard, some things grew in pots, and when we moved we uprooted the entire garden, moved it here, and then re-seeded the yard with grass. Now we have people asking us to give them garden tours, asking us how to make raised beds and grow veggies, and I am the admin for a large growing urban homesteading page that has turned into a powerful grassroots movement. Take that "don't plant a garden on your front lawn" land lords!
A few days ago I heard about a woman named Julie Bass who lives in Oak Park Michigan. She was cited and eventually charged with a misdemeanor for growing vegetables on her front lawn. Her story struck a cord in me because the reason she was given for not being allowed to have a front yard garden was much the same as the reason we were given a few years back. She was told that her vegetation was not "suitable" by the city planner, who went on to say that suitable meant "common" from Webster's Dictionary. I looked up the definitions for myself, and found that his definition is inaccurate. The definition for suitable has 3 meanings: 1.) similar, 2.) proper 3.) satisfying propriety. Now the city planner is claiming he used the legal definition for suitable, which is completely different from the Webster's definition. But he was recorded saying he used Webster's on camera, so there is no way he can back out of that one. Julie's story is all over the internet and was picked up this week by Grist, Washington Post, Treehugger, Huffington Post, and then the big hitter Drudge Report where the story was sandwiched between a picture of the space shuttle launch and Prince William and Kate for much of the day. How's that for press coverage?! The petition for Julie is now up to 4,400 signatures in just a few days, and the urban homesteading activists have only just begun.
As I sat out on my garden bench the famous quote by Thomas Jefferson came to mind, "If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." Is this what it's come to America: The government dictating what foods we eat? Honestly, I doubt that the Bass family of 8 could even afford organic vegetables, I know that my family of 4 certainly can't! So the city of Oak Park is dictating that Julie and her family won't be able to eat organic vegetables ultimately, is it not? Julie asked specifically if the city codes prohibited growing vegetables. The city planner's response? "I don't know." He never gave a definitive answer either way, and now he's attempting to manipulate language and definitions to suit his purposes. What has this country come to if a family isn't allowed to grow their own vegetables, seriously? Just because her yard doesn't look exactly like the other yards in her neighborhood she was given and misdemeanor and could spend 93 days in prison. I've read that the city of Oak Park is having financial issues, and honestly it sounds to me like they're trying to make a buck off of Julie. It's a sorry situation in more ways that one, and I feel at this point they should throw in the trowel, I mean towel and let Julie feed her family in these tough economic times.
So what do you think? Should Julie be allowed to grow veggies in her front yard?
Absolutely. In this free country, I get ticked off anytime I hear about a town or homeowner's association dictating what we can and cannot do with our yards. Like those veterans who were told they can't fly a flag, and who ultimately triumphed, I suspect that Julie will be allowed to grow her own veggies, particularly as the photos someone posted on your FB page already show others in her neighborhood doing the same thing--albeit on a different scale.
ReplyDeleteOak Park is sure earning a bad rep, are they not?
Good job on covering this! :)
My husband mentioned this morning that he saw something about this stating that it all started with a neighbor conflict. That seems to often be the case in these type of ridiciulous situations - a disgruntled neighbor reports the person and the government follows the letter of the ridiculous laws on the books. The key points here being ... establish good relations with your neighbors, if possible,and work to get the stupid laws changed!
ReplyDeleteJulie and her family didn't necessarily start a conflict with her neighbor. Sometimes no matter what you do a neighbor will create conflict. I think the laws there in Oak Park MI are being defined by the city to suit their purposes.
ReplyDeleteGOD:
ReplyDeleteFrank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS:
It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD:
Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.
GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD:
They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS:
No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD:
Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD:
What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD:
No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS:
After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD:
Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Kate, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE:
'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Have a great weekend everyone
show them this - I love it
I just posted about how this story has exploded in Oak Park's "War on Veggies" goes viral over at Crazy Eddie's Motie News. I included all the sources you found and gave you a hat/tip with a link back to this entry. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that there are currently 66 news articles on this story, including one from the Daily Mail in England. WOW!
According to the people in Oak Park, there is more to this story than was published. Incidentally there are organic community gardens available, very close to their house, and plots are offered at 15$/yr. So please let's be careful before we repost unverified info that we have not checked first-hand, but was received as a chain-letter in our mailbox.
ReplyDeletePinku - Thanks for the hat tip! I hadn't seen the UK link yet, very cool. Glad to see this story has gone global!
ReplyDeleteDaniela - What info have I written that isn't verified? This info is not a chain letter, and it has been verified via Fox News, and personal interviews with Julie Bass herself. IMO Julie has every right to grow veggies in her front yard despite an organic community garden being nearby.
Daniela - I forgot to mention that I first heard about Julie Bass through the fb page Take Back Urban Home-steading(s) that I created and am the admin for. We're an urban homesteading grass roots activism page so any case we promote is thoroughly investigated by multiple people before we promote it. We have been looking into and researching this story from the start, and it's obviously a legitimate case.
ReplyDelete