Group formed to legalize urban farming in the City of L.A.

Urban Farming Advocates

Formed in June 2009, Urban Farming Advocates (UFA) is a group of individuals, small business owners and organizations seeking to legalize urban farming in the City of L.A. We respectfully challenge outdated ordinances that restrict people’s freedom to use residential land for urban agriculture and self-reliance, practiced in a sustainable and responsible way, and in a manner that is directly related to the city’s efforts to green Los Angeles.

PROBLEM:

In 1946, a Los Angeles municipal code known as the Truck Gardening Ordinance was written to allow the growing of vegetables in residential (R) zones for sale off-site. This means that currently, it is technically prohibited for city dwellers in residential zones to grow fruits, nuts, flowers or seedlings and sell them off-site – at local farmers’ markets for example.

UFA believes that LA’s current zoning does not support urban farming or people’s growing desire to have access to locally-grown, organic, fresh, nutritious, safe and pesticide-free food and flowers.

SOLUTION:

On July 8, 2009, City Council President Eric Garcetti, introduced a motion to explore allowing “the cultivation of flowers, fruits, nuts or vegetables defined as the product of any tree, vine or plant, and that these products be allowed for use on-site or sale off-site.”

UFA has dubbed this motion the Food & Flowers Freedom Act.

Councilmember Garcetti believes that “it is in the interest of the city to promote the growth, harvest, on-site consumption and off-site sale of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other urban gardening products in the city. The growth of these products, and their sale at local farmers’ markets and other fresh food access programs, are directly related to the city’s efforts to green Los Angeles (by reducing the carbon footprint of food imported from other parts of the country and world), promote nutrition (by providing fresh produce in the city), and foster stronger bonds in the community (by encouraging local participation in farmers’ markets and other fresh food access programs), and create local sustainable job opportunities.

See their web site here.

Also see “Creation of Food Task Force Announced”. The city will partner with the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute of Occidental College and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps over the next six months to research and develop policy on food retail and marketing issues; urban agriculture and community gardens; emergency food networks; sustainable agriculture, water use and pesticide use; food waste; and school feeding and nutrition education programs.

And see “Legalizing urban farming in LA — The Food & Flower Freedom Act” here.