San Francisco Near Adoption of Urban Agriculture Planning Code

Michael Pollan in his garden. The New York Times via The Sydney Morning Herald.

Policies, plans, and programs for sustainable urban food systems

By Nevin Cohen
Urbanism News
Feb. 25, 2011

Excerpt:

If enacted by the city’s Board of Supervisors and signed by the Mayor, as anticipated, the city’s planning code would for the first time clearly define the status of urban agriculture in San Francisco by identifying where small and large scale farms can be located, letting property owners, urban farmers, and ordinary people know exactly what kinds of agricultural uses are allowed in any given place.

Neighborhood Agriculture is any use for food or horticultural production that occupies less than 1 acre. It includes but is not limited to home, kitchen, and roof gardens. The use of a site for food production may either be “principal” or “accessory” to other uses, such as a private home. These smaller growing spaces must also comply with the following standards:

Sales and donation of fresh food or horticultural products grown on site may occur between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. People are not allowed to sell from their home, and they cannot sell value added foods like jams or baked goods.

Compost areas must be set back at least three feet from structures on adjacent properties.

Read the complete article here.