2nd Meeting of 3

Thank you ALL, especially for sticking around for this past year.  Special thanks to Kitchen Gardeners International, Institute for Justice, MotherEarth News, TreeHugger, Coalition for Property Rights, Campaign for Liberty, Food Not Bombs, Food Not Lawns, Orlando Center for Urban Permaculture, Front Porch Radio,  all the media, and so many more.  Yes, it has been over a year since the City Code Enforcement told us to replace our vegetables with ground cover.

The Orlando City Council will be voting on a new City Landscape Ordinance that will include edible landscape.  We will be asking to speak at both meetings but hope to have a Victory Celebration after the final vote. 

-First Reading will be during the November 25th meeting that starts at 2pm

-FINAL Reading and Vote will be during the December 9th meeting that starts at 2pm

After many Task Force meetings and numerous stakeholders input, an acceptable ordinance has been created that allows our front yard vegetable garden while also promoting more sustainable landscapes.  We want to point out that there are still restrictions on our property rights.  They could have just said sustainable cities allow vegetable gardens and fall under other existing applicable safety laws (ie: line-of-sight, emergency access, building identification), nuisance laws (ie: noise, odor, lighting), and impact (ie: gases, drainage, invasives) laws.  Do you know all the laws in the U.S.A., Florida, Orange County, and Orlando?  No one does, because there are too many laws and we definitely do not need any restricting our food.

Also, we will make the point that we appreciate that we get to keep our sustainable vegetable garden but it will take a lot more to be the most sustainable City in Central Florida.  The City needs to make it easy to start a community garden so we can have more than 5 in the whole city, comparable to over 500 in the concrete jungle of New York City.  A true sustainable City Beautiful would have an Urban Learning Farm reflecting its agricultural heritage and not just show gardens.  The City needs to create a community based social marketing program that incentivizes, encourages, and rewards citizens’ sustainable efforts.

Since we have not been the only ones to have the government or an HOA try to eliminate front yard vegetables, we also want to announce that the complete Patriot Garden campaign is available to anyone who could use it.  We hope to continue the movement, support, and resources.  Most importantly, we will continue to help others grow their own food.   Please feel free to contact us for help.

We have only just begun.  Thank you again.

Namaste.

Jason and Jennifer