today i took the kids to pick strawberries and cherries. we had a great time, and came back with bags and bags of yummy produce. the cherries were so beautiful, and the strawberry patch smelled amazing! it made me wish we had more land to plant on!! 🙂 (shhhhhhh- don’t tell the city officials; i might get cited for unauthorized wishing…)
i came back and tried to respond to the comments on this blog- really really sincere thanks to EVERYONE who is following and commenting and offering words of encouragement- it means so much to us that we are not alone in this!
i figured i should update everyone, even though there is really nothing to update! the city official seemed to have dug in his heels yesterday, and i am hoping that doesn’t lock the city into an untenable position where they have to keep fighting with us to save face.
we have gotten so many calls about the news broadcasts, and some people who work with my husband said they were discussing it on the radio this morning too. i thought the coverage was very fair on both stations- and it was really interesting to see them each stressing different points! after spending a big chunk of time with both channel 2 and channel 7, i was very curious to see which snippets of conversation they would broadcast. it’s still somewhat unreal to have been on TV, and every time i watch the clips people have posted, it takes me a minute to remember that it is me! my husband has been dealing with lots of calls about legal advice and interviews and whatnot- he is SO much better at this than i am!- so it has been quite a busy day!
we keep kind of hoping that the city will magically contact us and tell us they are clarifying the language so it is clear what they want, and then we can discuss the specific things they have problems with in our yard. so far, their only problem seems to be the vegetable plants. i have had people here and on other blogs and lists try to dissect the potential problems- we have discussed the woodchip mulch and the wooden beds and some other miscellaneous items- but the only thing on every citation and every document we have from the city specifies that the vegetables are the violation. hhhm- just leaves me shaking my head…
on another note- i just want to review the facts and the timeline of this whole saga so that people who are coming here for the first time can have a synopsis:
after our sewer pipe was broken by the city’s tree roots, we had to dig up the entire lawn to get to the pipe and repair it (at our expense, thank you oak park…) after that we were left with a front yard covered in mounds of dirt.
we became interested in putting garden beds with vegetables, so i called the city to find out if it was permitted. after speaking to the person in charge of zoning, we were told that we probably couldn’t do a garden because nobody had ever asked about it before. since that is obviously not proof that it can’t be done, i asked the zoning person to please check on it for me. in our next call, he told me that he had been able to find out that we cannot put a fence around our front yard (????) but he had been unable to find anything about vegetable gardens in the front yard. the only thing he could find said that the city does allow decorative plantings.
ok, i thought- we have our answer. we can do decorative plantings- exactly what he told me we could do. WE WERE NEVER TOLD NOT TO DO IT. (contrary to his assertion on the news last night- ugh!!)
so, we had someone professionally make the garden beds so they would look nice. we planted grass on the front part of the yard, and put pathways between the garden boxes. we bought a pretty bench swing, and got pretty trellises for the tomatoes and the peas. we put garden paving stones out to make it nicer. we planted everything cleanly, in nice rows, with no huge plants that would hang over or look unkept. we thought we did pretty much everything in out power to comply with the city’s allowance of decorative plantings.
a week or two later, the code enforcer came out and gave us a warning- no vegetables allowed in front yard- must relocate. so i had a very pleasant conversation with the code enforcer and explained that i was under the impression that what we were doing was fine, and if it wasn’t fine- please show me where it says vegetables are prohibited. it doesn’t say that anywhere– but they told me that if i did not move the garden, i would get a citation. i kind of thought they were bluffing- just trying to pacify someone or something…
so, i searched online for the zoning codes- nowhere to be found. i went to the city office and asked for a copy of the codes- i was told they don’t have a copy. i asked if there are pamphlets or something for the citizens, so we can know what we are allowed to do and not allowed to do. they didn’t have that either. someone suggested that maybe i should try our public library- but they are closed for renovations until some time in july. i asked how they enforced violations if nobody in the city had a copy of the codes. they said that they figured the code enforcer probably knew the rules… circle back to square one…
the citation arrived, and we were cited for having vegetables. the code says that all unpaved surfaces shall be covered with grass, shrubbery, or suitable live plant material. i figured we were fine- we do have suitable live plant material. the city told us that suitable means flowers. then they told us it means you can’t have vegetables. in court, they said suitable means similar to the neighbors. in the interview last night the zoning person gave some weird obsolete definition of the word suitable. it’s like the twilight zone. and all along we have gone out of our way to do the right thing! we still think what we have is suitable. that’s the problem.
we went to court the other day and the prosecutor said there is obviously a question about the interpretation of the phrase “suitable live plant material”, so we will have to take it to trial. i requested a jury trial, hoping that 12 normal citizens will see that the city is just making things up on the fly. the ordinance doesn’t say what it doesn’t say. that’s it…
i have been keeping this blog, hoping to find other people who had been through similar situations. i wanted some guidance on how to deal with the city. i haven’t been able to find anyone (well, there is one man in plymouth, who i am planning to call later), and even people in farming and in the legal field think this is so bizarre they have never heard of anything like it.
so, that’s where we are. we didn’t provoke a fight with the city.
we are not looking for 15 minutes (or any minutes!) of fame.
i believe that we are right and that it is clear in the ordinance.
we are sad and scared and upset that the city feels like it can just go after people for random reasons on random whims and they aren’t accountable.
so, here we are. thanks for joining us on the journey.
oakparkhatesveggies 
Jun 30, 2011 @ 18:05:35
I do not live in your town or even your state but I find the harassment your town is showing towards you and your family criminal. The beauty of veggies growing an eye sore? Do they not have anything better to do? Maybe an abandon home to tear down, someone with garbage on their lawn, or maybe graffiti on their houses? They would rather harass a person who is providing good food for her family, oxygen for our air, and the delightful foods to look at? I hope you win this and set a chain of events to happen in your town! Good Luck!
Jun 30, 2011 @ 19:01:35
Julie, don’t let the negative comments get you down! the people who feel they need to call people names and put them down are ignorant and selfish. I was reading some of the comments and it hurt me to hear people saying anything negitive about you or what you are standing up for. Stay strong and PLEASE let me know if I can help in any way. Talk to you soon-Ryan
Jun 30, 2011 @ 19:09:51
I put your story on my facebook page. Others are picking it up. People are writing your city councilclowns and mayor. We are behind you.
Jason
Jun 30, 2011 @ 19:42:23
So sorry to learn about what you’re going through. Absolutely, patently ridiculous. In Denver the recently passed (2010) zoning code specifically permits front yard gardens. Let me know if you’d like me to dig up the code language for you.
In the meantime, here’s my little post on the situation: http://eatwhereulive.com/blog/?p=473 If you’d like to leave a comment on my blog to let the readers know how we all can help you, please do so!
Jun 30, 2011 @ 20:28:59
sundari- thank you so much for the nice things you are saying! it seems like all over the country, municipalities are moving toward more sustainable living, but here in oak park we are scrabbling around in the dark ages… i hope you will continue to check back here to follow the development of this nonsense 🙂 if any of your readers wants to contact the oak park zoning person (the one who was interviewed on TV), they should feel free…thanks again! -julie
Jun 30, 2011 @ 20:30:50
jason- hurray, you!!!!!! that is so great that you put it on facebook- i know a number of people have asked, so i am gald to know this story is getting passed around. hopefully i will have a facebook page within the next few days, but in the meantime, it’s wonderful to know that your folks will be writing in support of us. thanks a bunch!! -julie
Jun 30, 2011 @ 20:34:57
awwwwwwwwwww, thanks- i kind of feel like i just got a nice big hug! it’s okay with me if people have different opinions- i think that when you are doing what is right, it doesn’t really matter what other people say. so, we’re all good here. thanks for your offer of help- i think that the more people who comment positively and contact other people, the better. so, i guess we’ll see what happens. you are really sweet! -julie
Jun 30, 2011 @ 20:35:42
thanks, tina!! i hope so too! take care- julie
Jun 30, 2011 @ 23:18:02
Your municipal zoning code is here: http://www.oakpark-mi.com
Click on City Clerk, then City Code in the menu. This will take you to a website hosted by municode.com
Sec 403 regulates composting in a single-family zoning district (not in the front yard, but you can put vegetable matter in it).
Chapter 18, Article VIII: no grass or noxious weeds. Specifically excluded (allowed) are “flower gardens, plots of shrubbery, vegetable gardens and small grain plots.”
I find no language stating what code enforcement has told you. If the zoning ordinance does not prohibit a front-yard vegetable garden, the official is incorrect in issuing a ticket.
Another option: bring it to the board of zoning appeals and/or the planning commission. The city planner interprets and applies the ordinance; those two bodies make the laws.
(yes, I am a city planner and zoning specialist)
Jun 30, 2011 @ 23:23:12
wow, karen- i wish i had known you a few weeks ago! i also think the code person was incorrect, but i didn’t even know about chapter 18, article viii. i’m glad you could direct me on how to find things, since nobody in the city government seems to know 🙂 hope i will never have to search the codes again, but it’s always good to know where they are. thanks for your input- julie
Jun 30, 2011 @ 23:26:55
Let me know if you need more help. Would be happy to file/present at your planning commission/BZA.
Jun 30, 2011 @ 23:46:17
Would they rather have THIS happen?
Jul 01, 2011 @ 00:18:09
Would you mind if I quote passages of your blog entries over at my blog? I’ll be sure to post the links so you can see what I wrote.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 00:28:32
I love front yard vegetable gardens and think they are very suitable. Here in Grand Rapids they’re not common, but they are not unheard of, either. I can think of several. A community association has even put a raised bed on a busy corner and planted some veggie (gasp!) plants there for passersby to use. When I go past, I grab a couple of cherry tomatoes, and think what a nice idea it is.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 00:29:01
Oak Park, Michigan, this city hall needs an enema.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 00:37:13
Julie
I have no dog in this fight but I did write your city council and got a response.
Sorry if I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. When our rights are trampled on in this country we have to stand up for each other.
___________________
ME
Oak Park battles city over vegetable garden in their front yard
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/oakland_county/oak-park-battles-city-over-vegetable-garden-in-their-front-yard
YOU CANT BE SERIOUS! You all should put an end to this insanity. Let people grow their own food.
______________________
City Councilman Paul
Speaking as a resident, it is clearly. A fact that Oak Park is committed to urban forestry and holds an informational workshop for gardeners each year. Oak Park also encourages neighborhood association groups to help set standards and maintain safe and attractive neighborhoods in a spirit of mutual consideration. Many residents, myself included, grow produce in our back yards. City ordinances are created to support neighboring residents who might not be pleased with front yard urban farming. It becomes a question of what is suitable for a neighborhood. For example, several herbs and perennials are often part of a landscape. However, corn stalks and produce have been considered to be more suitable in the privacy of a backyard. I know that Oak Park would welcome residents working together and would provide support and a place for a community garden. This would provide a venue for apartment dwellers as well. However, as a community we must be sensitive to the common interests of neighboring residents which has led to many ordinances that restrict noise, pollution, unapproved building, vehicle storage, parking, residential businesses and lawn maintenance, to name a few. There is a legal process to challenge and modify ordinances with ample community support. However, there is no need for civil disobedience and confrontation when proper legal communal venues are available.
__________________
ME
I can understand the concern. I wouldn’t want a car on blocks in the yard across from me.
“City code says that all unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass or ground cover or shrubbery or other suitable live plant material.” You can surely see how vague that law is. Its like saying your house must be painted an appropriate color. Who is to judge? It seems to me that if you all were unhappy with the garden YOU should change the ordinance to properly encompass what you interpret it to intend and allow the residents to speak on both sides and debate it. You determine the meaning of something vague as you see fit without discourse and then wonder why civil disobedience occurs. What if I determine an azalea bush is not suitable (or common – but we’ll get to that point in a moment)? Can I call the city and have it removed? Where does it stop?
Your planning and technology director thinks the definition of suitable is “common” but he is incorrect. The true definition is: “adapted to a use or purpose”. I don’t think I need to tell you that vegetable plantings are adapted to a use and a purpose. I don’t think I need to tell you that a lot of people forget that we descend from farmers and that our founding fathers (who would be appalled at your behavior) were farmers and gardeners. Now its true that times are changing, so why not use this to your advantage? Its easy to see, with distractions like this one, why your city is in financial trouble. Perhaps someone interpretted budgetary laws to mean something they didn’t. I mean with the ability to define words how you see fit, I’m sure some things didn’t quite work out (negative cash flow is still bad, right?). Why not compromise and change the ordinance to require an annual fee. Perhaps more people could garden where they see fit and pay your fees. Just a suggestion.
Just some thoughts. Though my reply is probably not as respectful as it should be, I do appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 01:07:29
My name is Cathy Durenand I found your story on facebook! I am amazed and disgraced by the City of Oak Park!! I am outraged! Everyday in the US (and elsewhere) people -hardworking people face financial hardships and cannot afford to feed their families. I congratulate the family in Oak park for us…ing their minds and practicing sustainability! I am in no way suggesting they planeted out of need-they planted out of intelligence and the love that nature can bring! They could donate and share their produce. If everyone planted a garden and shared their excess produce with neighbors and pantries think of all the good we could do. BUT NO OAK PARK IS WASTING MONEY taking this family to court over something so trivial and ignorant. SHAME ON OAK PARK!!See More
24 minutes ago · LikeUnlikeCathy Duren
Private Property:
(12) To acquire, have and use the means necessary to exercise the above natural rights and pursue happiness, specifically including:
(1) A private residence, from which others may be excluded.
…(2) Tools needed for one’s livelihood.
(3) Personal property, which others may be denied the use of.
(4) Arms suitable for personal and community defense.See More
8 minutes ago · LikeUnlikeCathy Duren Whatever happend to Constitutional Rights?
8 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
Jul 01, 2011 @ 01:24:53
Lynn Henning, CAFO Water Sentinel 517-605-7740
http://michigan.sierraclub.org/issues/greatlakes/articles/LynnHenning-GoldmanPrize.html
http://www.oprah.com/world/The-2010-O-Power-List/15
Above are three links associated with Lynn Henning and the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. Last semester I wrote an essay concerning the environmental work that Lynn has accomplished. She is a fighter for sustainability and I found her phone number for you ( as noted above) she is an excellent resource regarding farming, sustainability, living green and she has won awards from Oprah as well as Obama in the last year. She lives in a tiny rural town near me-She may be a resource to help you in your fight for sustainability or know of someone who can help…Cathy
Jul 01, 2011 @ 01:47:51
This whole thing is ridiculous. Your CIty Planner needs someone to hand him an actual dictionary and look up “appropriate”. And then he needs to unclench.
Made me fire up Google to prove that front yard veggies are not crazy weird and unheard of, and to find out if others have faced the problem. Here are some links I dug up. (I don’t know or own any of them…but I have at least visted and read them all. 🙂
POSTS ABOUT FRONT YARD VEGGIES/EDIBLES
http://www.marthastewart.com/268773/front-yard-gardens (Look, it’s good enough for Martha!!)
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/gardening/entries/2010/04/14/front_yard_vegetable_garden_fe.html
http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/veggies-up-front-00400000014661/ (And hey, it’s good enough for Sunset Magazine too!)
http://www.cityfarmer.info/2011/06/20/a-front-yard-becomes-a-community-garden/
http://glave.com/2009/07/02/eat-your-yar/
http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/front-yard-vegetable-garden-article10373.html
http://www.veggiegardener.com/tips-for-growing-front-yard-vegetable-garden/
http://www.kansascitymamas.com/2010/05/good-eats-front-yard-garden-freezing/
http://www.greendivamom.com/2009/06/22/edible-landscaping-planting-vegetables-in-the-front-yard/
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20100911/entlife/309119999/
http://www.oakpark.com/Community/Blogs/06-17-2011/Oak_Park%27s_YMCA_plants_vegetable_garden (Another Oak Park with a YMCA that has a garden in the FRONT.)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/article692165.ece
http://www.raisedbedsgardening.net/growing-food-in-seattle-a-front-yard-raised-bed-vegetable-garden/
OTHER LAW BREAKRES
http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2006/06/no-really-my-garden-is-illegal.html
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-30/news/ct-edit-tomato-20100830_1_suburban-gardeners-vegetable-plot-lawn
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/02/orange-couple-threatened-with-jail-over-ecofriendly-front-yard.html (Not about veggies, but about ecofriendly landscaping instead of lawn).
A CITY THAT GOT A CLUE (and potentially someone to contact for help)
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/10830
AN ENTIRE BOOK ON THE SUBJECT
http://www.timberpress.com/books/edible_front_yard/soler/9781604691993
AND ANOTHER PUBLICATION
http://www.mortenmoorepublishing.com/FYFY.html
Don’t know if it helps, but if you can bring in evidence that it’s not weird, and that “not what we want to see” is purely a matter of aesthetic taste, and materials about the importance of food security, low chemical impact (lawns are notoriously chemical-laden) and attention to details like professional beds, nice trellises and the like…it can’t hurt.
Best of luck, I’ll be watching. I shared your story on my FB page.
You might suggest that your supporters politely contact the City Planner dude and express their dismay, disbelief, and support of front yard gardening.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 03:53:01
We have a box garden that faces the street in Ferndale and NOBODY has complained…You have our full support and we think it is tragic that someone is wasting valuable city resources on such a poorly written law…Good luck and hopefully sanity will prevail
Jul 01, 2011 @ 08:36:56
Hang in there, Julie. You’re doing the right thing. There is a big, growing national trend of people growing their own food and more power to you for joining it. Oak Park is just a little behind the curve. I personally feel it’s great to have vegetable gardens in the front yard where people see them, learn from them and interact with their neighbors. It helps build stronger communities!!
Jul 01, 2011 @ 10:28:44
Julie, I am in total support of your family. Please keep up the taxing work you and your wonderful family are doing. I think the news reports on channel’s 2 and 7 demonstrate how the greater public is supporting you, and the city of Oak Park is really losing a lot of respect through this mess.
If you have a Facebook page, please share it. I’d love to pass it along and follow it!
Jul 01, 2011 @ 10:53:09
If suitable live plant matetial means the same as your neighbors, ask your neighbors to plant a veggie or two in their front yards. Then, even by their crazy definition of suitable, your veggies wouldn’t be abnormal anymore and they can start citing those without veggies because that would then be abnormal.
Good luck!
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:30:36
Just read the part about suitable meant flowers. In case no one has ever noticed vegetable plants have flowers. In fact has anyone ever taken an elementary science class? Plants produce flowers, which produce seeds. We can eat the seeds of many plants, ie fruit/vegetables.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:34:24
yep, exactly. i had a long discussion with someone yesterday about vegetables that flower and trees that provide food (fuit trees, maple trees, etc) and that some veggies are actually roots (carrots, etc) and that it is sooooooooooo hard to deceide exactly what they could prohibit because any objective criteria here doesn’t fit exactly. we’ll see how it goes, but thank you for your input! -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:36:43
hi erin! the sad but true dirty little secret is that lots of people in this very city plant vegetables in front– they just usually do it closer to their bushes, i guess, where it is more inconspicuous. i have had neighbors offer to plant some vegetables in the middle of their front lawn in solidarity, but i don’t want anyone to get into trouble on my behalf. but it’s nice to know i have such great friends, huh? thanks for the idea- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:37:59
well thanks, tim! hopefully one day we can have a set-up simiilar to yours 😉 but i won’t hold my breath in oak park… anyway, thanks for your message of support, and we should have the FB page up and running soon. take care-julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:38:57
thanks, shady! we are all hoping oak park comes around soon! be well- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:40:18
thank you, steve! it appears that lots of neighboring cities are welcoming gardens and similar projects. maybe oak park will come around and see the benefits of what we have done. i guess time will tell. thanks for stopping by the blog- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:44:09
excellent, cathy! thanks for the heads-up- this sounds like a great contact for me to have! i will add it to my list and try to call her soon. have a great day- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:47:20
all i can say, cathy, is an enthusiastic YES! to everything you wrote! thanks- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:48:09
not exactly my metaphor of choice, but i appreciate you showing your support of us, scooteral! thanks- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:50:31
I have an aweful lot of info regarding the city, Kevin Rulkowski, and their history of looking the other way on violations identical to yours. I have photos. I have evidence on numerous ocassions that indicate a continued apathy to enforce strick code regulations when the violator is a contractor/friend/relative of city/tchnical & planning officials. I am a resident of OP & would like to help you fight city hall, so to speak. I am also a certified paralegal. Contact me if you would like help.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:50:54
it’s funny you bring that up, lauren, because the city of oak park also has raised beds, and uses woodchip mulch, and pretty much grows whatever it feels like growing (including many overgrown weeds, because our city is so strapped for cash right now!)- so it’s odd that they are sooooo badly overreacting to what we did. i am still shaking my head in wonderment all these weeks later. and i wish they would plant some tomatoes instead of spending money to harass us! thanks- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 11:54:35
ooooooooooooooooooooh- d- are you saying there is a real honest-to-goodness corrupt administration in oak park??? 🙂 i will definitely contact you if we could use a paralegal- thanks for your offer! -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 12:02:14
Make sure you pursue the Michigan Right To Farm Act. It doesn’t specify a minimum farm size and is one of the most protective in the nation. You do have to at least try to sell some of what you produce at some point to qualify as a farm. You could argue that you are still in the development phase and will sell in the future. I am planting fruit and nut trees and claim to be a farm but it is obvious my “crop” will not be ready to sell for years.
You don’t have to make a profit (many farmers do not after all) but you do have to try. There is someone in Ypsilanti that sells his extra to the local food co-op and fills out the little bit of paperwork when he files his taxes. Another key is not to try and claim such things as property tax and fuel breaks unless you really show you are making a serious effort to be a “real” farmer.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 12:10:54
wooooooooooooooooooow, carol- my kids and i just sat here watching with our mouths hanging open… i hate to post something that makes detroit look so bad, but you raised a really valid point, especially given that oak park has more and more abandoned houses each day, lots of vacant business space, and several areas that seem to be headed in detroit’s direction… maybe we could ask tyree guyton (from the heidelberg project) to come paint us some murals, and that would make them happy 🙂 too bad i really like my neighbors, or i would be sorely tempted… thank you so much for finding this; it’s giving me chills… -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 13:04:20
thanks, karen- i will keep that in mind!
Jul 01, 2011 @ 13:06:27
please feel free, neon vincent! i will look forward to seeing what you have to say- thanks- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 14:29:08
I’ve just added a supportive message to the WJBK website’s coverage of your situation. Your city fathers seem unbelievably backward. Here in Virginia, we actually encourage people to do what you’re doing! Hang in there and good luck. — Mara in Virginia
Jul 01, 2011 @ 15:00:17
Thank you. I’ve already updated yesterday’s entry to point my readers to this post for a complete story from your perspective.
Jul 01, 2011 @ 15:08:17
Well, well, well. Here I am reading the July 2011 issue of “This Old House” magazine, and what do you know? There’s a lovely article starting on pg. 51 titled “I planted a garden to share.” The deck reads, “When a local community garden lost one of its two plots, TOH reader Angela Baker stepped in, converting her family’s yard [the front yard as well as back, to be exact] into 31 fruit and vegetable beds.” The gardens come complete with mulched walkways. Volunteers are welcome to pitch in and weed, prune, etc. to help these gardens produce fresh food for a community food warehouse. Very smart. — Mara in Virginia
Jul 01, 2011 @ 16:33:55
i’m loving this, mara! thanks for posting!! -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 16:36:38
thank you for that- you can’t believe how many people have contacted me saying that their governments are encouraging exactly this type of gardening! glad you live in a place that is forward- thinking 🙂 take care- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 16:44:57
thanks, jerry- we are all over the michigan right to farm act, but i am always happy when someone has good information to share. i hope you will keep up with this blog and be here to celebrate when we (hopefully) have a happy ending! be well- julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 17:18:17
Julie– I think I have solved your problem.
Follow me on this, it’s not nearly as complicated as it may sound.
I’m reading Oak Park’s municipal code. Read Part II – Appendix A – Article II Definitions – Section 203
“Landscape treatments. A non-sight obscuring decorative structure used to enhance, accent or protect the landscaping of the site. Landscape treatments include, but are not limited to, timbers, boulders, planter boxes, posts, and partial fences.”
Notice “…planter boxes…”
The purpose of a section for ‘definitions’ is so that there will be no doubt what is meant when a particular term is used in this particular document.
Now read Article XVIII of the same Appendix, Section 1717 – A(2) “…Landscape treatments which are no longer than 50 percent of the width of the lot at the front lot line, and are 30 inches in height or less, may be erected within the front yard.”
So … the base grade of your front lawn must be either paved or covered in ‘suitable plant material’ and you can argue that produce is ‘suitable’. But what you have actually installed is not a lawn but a series of planter boxes which are specifically included in the definition of ‘landscape treatments’, which are expressly permitted by Oak Park’s code of ordinances. I can find nothing which regulates which plants may be planted in a planter box.
I would read the sizing stipulation to mean that each planter box must be no wider than half the width of the property but even if it is taken to mean the total of all landscape features, there is no stipulation on the length. Worse case scenario, you may need to re-configure your planter boxes to the prescribed dimensions.
The city could propose that since your planter box is technically ‘unpaved’ it must be filled with ‘suitable plant material’, but it becomes much harder to make the case that tomatoes and lettuce are not ‘common’ things to plant within a planter box.
Anyway, I just completed my MA in Diplomacy and my family just moved back to SE Michigan (born and raised). My wife and I would be happy to donate some hours to your cause. I have experience coordinating public relations campaigns, and I know my way around a legal library if your attorney needs someone to run-fetch. My wife holds a Masters in Accounting and sustainability / recession economics are of interest to us both.
Cheers,
Chris & Stacy
cobright [at] gmail
Jul 01, 2011 @ 18:12:17
right you are, linda- thanks!! 🙂 -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 18:14:56
jason- your nose absolutely is welcome here, and i appreciate your help! you are actually the first person to be able to get any response out of any city official since this whole mess began- you must be charmed! seriously, though, i really do appreciate people coming to our defense and trying to get the city to see that it should stop picking on us and do something constructive with its time… i really enjoyed reading this exchange, and i’m sure other readers of the blog will enjoy it as well. thanks and have a great weekend! -julie
Jul 01, 2011 @ 23:19:00
Gotta love us zoning geeks, pouring through the municode text for the sheer fun of it!
Jul 02, 2011 @ 05:09:52
What great supportive responses! The wonders of social media at it’s best, like minded people geographically separated connecting and assisting/supporting one another.
Jul 02, 2011 @ 22:26:12
Chris and Stacy this is amazing work! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this research. I am the one who made the raised beds and I have become very attached to Julie and her family go what they are doing. The fact that you would lend your time to complete strangers like you have, is one of the most unselfish acts I have seen or heard of in a long time. You have picked a wonderful family and cause to lend a hand to and I’m sure it will come back to you 10 fold in karma. You are more than welcome to pick veggies in my garden any time. Thank you and keep up the great work. – Ryan
turpin3166@me.com
Jul 02, 2011 @ 22:47:08
yep, anne- we are finding some of the nicest people around, that’s for sure- thanks for being one of them! -julie
Jul 02, 2011 @ 22:50:43
hi karen- i AM loving the zoning geeks- they are managing to find things i looked several times for and came up blank on. i am sort of confused as to why the code says different things in diefferent places, seemingly around the same issues, but i will let you zoning geeks figure that out for me- if you dare… seriously, though, thanks for your help (glad you had fun!) -julie
Jul 03, 2011 @ 17:33:07
When did cities become so corrupt and bureaucratic that they no longer work for the people that elect them in the first place? Julie, I really hope you guys win your case! I think I am going to plant some veggies in my front garden tomorrow for you! Good luck!!!
Jul 03, 2011 @ 18:03:58
that’s awesome- send me some photos if you can and i will (with help, of course…) post them here. good luck!! and thanks- julie
Jul 04, 2011 @ 13:55:21
I know deep down that our HOA would do to us the same thing your city is doing to you. One woman planted her entire front yard with flowers (no grass at all) and they tried to come down on her. Seems all anyone wants is useless grass.
Jul 04, 2011 @ 14:21:26
yah, HOAs are notorious for obnoxious and overbearing rules. gotta be all about the lawns 🙂
Jul 04, 2011 @ 22:38:18
Technically, vegetable plants make flowers…
Jul 05, 2011 @ 10:59:38
“…the city told us that suitable means flowers.” Hmm. Wouldn’t it be fun to plant a row of 8-foot sunflowers around your front lawn? And then sit back and watch them try to re-define “suitable” – yet again? They *are* flowers after all… 🙂 Sorry, just indulging in a little snarkiness at this ridiculous situation the city has pressed you into. I totally support your cause, and am spreading the word.
Also just out of curiosity, I’m wondering if you’ve considered bringing any kind of legal action against the city for the tree *they* planted, which caused the cracked sewer pipe, which required you to rethink your front lawn in the first place? I know that might be taking things a little too far (or I guess it would feel that way if it were me) but, you know, since they seem to be dead set on playing hardball…
(Also just think – how great would it be if the city ended up having to pay you damages for that sewer pipe incident, essentially funding your veggie garden? Poetic justice, no?)
Jul 05, 2011 @ 12:38:31
hahaha, A.- i totally get the snarkiness, and we have considered lots of things. but then we calm down again… thanks for stopping by the blog ! -julie
Jul 05, 2011 @ 12:48:19
yes, visty- and technically we are not in violation of the code. apparently oak park doesn’t do ‘technical’- only ‘suitable’ hahahahaha- some people… 🙂
Jul 07, 2011 @ 07:54:58
Posting this on my FB- read about you on my brother’s FB. Good luck with this – it is totally ridiculous. Now we have “plant police” among our gov’t officials……..
Jul 09, 2011 @ 01:35:15
I just heard about your story. I didn’t think twice when I planted beans and squash in my front yard, but now I hope I don’t get thrown in jail for it! Your front yard looks lovely.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 08:41:13
Have you read Joel Saltin’s “Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal”? He is an amazing sustainable farmer (featured in the documentary movie “Food, Inc” who has “fought city hall” and won many times. His book is both enlightening and insteresting. I hope he hears about your struggles and decides to become involved!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 08:41:54
That should have been Joel Salatin – figured the misspelling would make a difference if you were trying to find the book! 🙂
Jul 11, 2011 @ 08:43:55
I think the whole thing is bordering on ridiculous, but thats just me YAY for you growing your vegies 🙂 on the plus side, if “suitable” means similar to your neighbours maybe get them together and encourage them to plant a few vegies too? then the council would have no recourse
Jul 11, 2011 @ 08:55:45
To help encourage you…this woman over in Grand Rapids has a wonderful front yard veggie garden. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Urban-Ranch/212151492151961?sk=wall
On her blog she has promoted your fight: http://burdockandrose.tumblr.com/
So many of us are following and puling for you!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 08:57:22
Maybe try doing a freedom of information act request concerning previous citations on the ordinance and maybe the wording of the ordinance itself. There’s some info on filing for this online.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:04:42
I am a believer in a naturalized, useful garden. I grow veggies everywhere, mixed with other plants of all sizes, shapes and hues. Although one or two people have thought this a little weird the vast majority love it. Keep doing this, others will follow. And nationally and internationally your elected and appointed officials look like total morons!! ciao Pam
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:14:13
I have never encountered anything like what you are going through. I have vegetables and flowers all over my yard…I can not believe what you are having to deal with, and I am amazed at the ignorance of the city council.
A couple of thoughts….stick in a couple of marigolds and petunias, it may distract and appease the idiots…… let the lettuce bolt and you will have flowers….. take pictures of the peas in flower stage (etc)…. bring a basket of fresh picked peas to city hall (they may be amazed and may need nutrition…not much nutrition in wonder bread) …. bring your neighbors a tomato plant and offer to plant it in a corner of their yard so your so the neighborhood will be “similar”. Good luck….I hope this creates a healthy awareness and enlightment in those small minds
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:15:04
Julie, we have been following your plight and we share everything through Facebook. We believe that the City of Oak Park could better come up with a better use of their time by going after actual criminals rather than wasting the City’s money, time, and resources on something like tormenting a normal citizen who is simply trying to provide a better source of food for their family while trying to make their yard nice. Go figure?
There is a family just up the road from my folks in Vancouver Washington that have a front yard garden. I mean, an entire garden, not just the garden boxes. They have a couple of rows of berry vines, corn, tomatoes, the whole nine yards. It looks great and I would LOVE to live next door to them just so I can watch it all grow. Heck, if I lived next to them, we would have a garden out front as well. We will be heading that way in the next day or two and I plan on stopping to chat with them about their garden and any problems they have had with the city and their neighbors. I don’t believe that there have been many (if any) issues as this is their 3rd or 4th year of growing out front.
We wish that we could attend your trial and lend a hand, but, we aren’t running out that way. (We are Truckers that haul the giant Windmill Blades).
So, the best we can do is to lend moral support and gather info when we can. Know that the masses are with you in your fight. As are we.
Be Blessed!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:15:34
Bexley, Ohio has a similarly twisted and inconsistent sense of plant life–when we lived there, we were cited by the city for “excessive weeds” in our bed on the alley. The “excessive weeds” were daylillies and other flowers that we’d planted.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:18:22
What these people do not remember is that it was not unusual for people to grow their own food in the beginning of our great country. There are still places that grow their own food and can and store for hard times and this should be a right of all Americans. We are in a RECESSION people! What Julie is doing is just SMART! And if the people that are opposing it were ever hungry enough they would not be doing this, they would be growing their own food! Sometimes people take things for granted and that should stop. The rich get fatter with their store bought produce because they can afford it. They just need to stop being oppressive and be glad that someone in their community will EAT!! Oye!
What Life Dishes Out » Blog Archive » Front Yard Gardeners Unite!!!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:33:03
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:37:02
http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/07/06/using-snap-benefits-to-grow-your-own-food/
SNAP is the new name for Food Stamps. They ENCOURAGE people to grow their own foods. Check it out! If it is good enough for the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT… it is good enough for Julie!!!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:40:12
Don’t most vegetable plants produce flowers first? I’d love to see a massive movement of civil disobedience in Oak Park, with citizens putting in raised bed vegetable gardens in their front yards in protest (and in good health).
Jul 11, 2011 @ 09:55:32
Julie, I thought you might like to know about a blogger near to me, who ran into similar (though not quite as intense) circumstances as you have: http://idigdc.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/complaints/ In this bloggers situation, it seems to have come out okay.
Good luck to you! I’m rooting for you (no pun intended… or… 🙂 )
PS: it would be great if you would consider activating the “Archive” widget on your blog, so people arriving to your blog for the first time can read the history of your situation. Just a thought.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 10:51:04
I have your story on my f/b page. Good Grief! I live in Taylor there is a woods behind my house and I am constantly at battle with the weeds encoaching on my property back fence, tarzan vines, another vines, just giant weeds. I missed 1 weed next to my lilac bush by the fence and I was sent a notice, my next door neighbor helped me to find that weed.
Oak Park Gardener Faces 93 Days in Jail for Her Veggies — and How You Can Help | EatWhereULive
Jul 11, 2011 @ 11:06:19
Jul 11, 2011 @ 12:19:00
I just wanted to add my support to all that you have received so far. You should be able to plant ANY plants in your front yard that you deem ‘suitable’. It was only a few decades ago when all cities and towns encouraged EVERYONE to plant victory gardens. How have we come so far astray that only grass in encouraged?
Good luck with your struggle. I hope your neighbors will be inspired to plant gardens of their own.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 15:12:27
Awesome Karen! Though I am in Canada, I have been following this story, as have many of my fb friends who all think is beyond stupid. Thanks for finding the code for them and being willing to go that extra mile. It is inspiring.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 15:28:25
Good for you! Stick to it! I have passed on your links and your story and ask that every one else do the same. What if you disguised it with a “hedge?” I use blueberries in my front yard for a lovely shrub that also provides me delicious berries! They turn a lovely crimson in the fall as well. Stand your ground my friend. You have rights. Keep em! 🙂
Jul 11, 2011 @ 15:49:49
Sec. 18-231. – Adoption of property maintenance code by reference; amendments.
Section 302.4 Weeds: All premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of eight inches (254mm). All noxious weeds shall be prohibited. Weeds shall be defined as all grasses, annual plants and vegetation, other than trees or shrubs; provided, however, this term shall not include cultivated flowers and gardens.
Doesn’t tell you WHERE you could have your garden…..=)
Sec. 18-351. – Grading and surface drainage plans.
(10) Asphalt, paved or grass covered areas shall have minimum general slope of one percent with specific water carrying swales having a minimum slope of four-tenths percent.
another one for your information.
Sec. 18-281. – Prohibited.
(a) Improved property. No person owning any premises, whether or not occupied, and any person occupying any property (pursuant to any land contract, rental or leasehold agreement), including, for the purpose of this article, the abutting street right-of-way and the street curb, or the drainage course paralleling the street where there is no curb abutting such property, shall permit or maintain on any such property or premises any growth of weeds, rank vegetation or any growth of grass to a greater height than eight inches, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush. No such occupant or owner shall cause, suffer or permit poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac, ragweed or other poisonous plants, or plants detrimental to health, to grow on any such premises or property.
PLANT A GARDEN!
Sec. 18-284. – Exemptions.
Exempted from the provisions of this article, inclusive, are flower gardens, plots of shrubbery, vegetable gardens and small grain plots. An exemption under the terms of this section cannot be claimed unless the land has been cultivated and cared for in a manner appropriate to such exempt categories.
Well? There’s your sign.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 16:44:14
I’ve posted your article on FB (along with links to petition and video) and several friends 2 with very large networks have shared it.
Maybe this all can be a start of a new movement – Everybody can have gardens in their front lawns! Imagine growing food instead of manicuring lawns. Nothing un’suitable’ about that.
You are gonna win this one Julie. The people are behind you!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 17:11:09
I, too, faced a similar situation once. I was told that whenever accused of breaking a law – ask to see the law (or the ordinance). Since they cannot produce a written ordinance I don’t see how they can fine or prosecute you.
What they can do is write a new ordinance defining exactly what is and is not allowed in front yards. But! It won’t pertain to you. You will then be what is called “grandfathered in”. In other words, the new law would not pertain to you because you had the garden before the law was put into effect.
I really hope that is the way it goes for you. You went above and beyond duty trying to find out what was allowed before you did anything. Hate to say it – but I prolly wouldn’t have – lol! I would just have assumed it was ok and gone ahead with my garden.
You and your family sound like model citizens, Julie. Wishing you all the best.
Maria
Jul 11, 2011 @ 17:25:10
The news about your plight has reached us in western Canada. Although we have no influence directly over the situation, we have also emailed your town officials, letting them know that their actions have embarrassed not only themselves, but the community at large. We are very interested to know how this turns out – and we just want to encourage you that you are doing the right thing.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 17:29:39
I forgot to mention that I have also posted the news article and blogs on my fb page. I don’t want to hide this injustice “under a bush” 🙂
Jul 11, 2011 @ 18:06:57
I am thrilled at all the knowledgeable and wonderful support being offered. What a wonderful thing in this sometimes ‘It is all about me’ world! Thanks for making me smile for doing the research and offering to help this family out, including what could be a horrible precedent in a time when our food sources are often contaminated with pesticides, bacteria and hormones.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 18:29:01
You should go and take pictures of all the abandoned homes and overgrown lots and and raised beds with weeds for your court date and ask which is more “suitable”
Jul 11, 2011 @ 19:55:01
I just wonder when middle and upper class americans are going to get over the fact that LAWN (which is one of the biggest chemical and water wastes in the country) is completely wasteful and stupid and people had BETTER be growing their own food, because if something happens, no one has any food security.
I am so sorry you have to go through this, but god, if I’d do jail time I would SURELY do it for vegetables! Maybe you’re to become the icon of the ‘be allowed to grow food in your yard and DAMN the CC&R’s’ movement!
I think it’s HIGH time that America get OVER their bourgeois attitude toward people that want to do something different.
Give em hell lady and don’t back down! You have at least 15k people behind you!!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 20:23:55
Julie,
You have SO many folks behind you on this. This story has touched a nerve.
The absurdity of suggesting that “suitable” or “decorative” is up to the city to determine. Especially given the trouble you two went to make your gardens so attractive and inviting.
How would you feel about having alot of “support” there on the 26th? This goes beyond your garden, though I realize it is very personal to you and your husband. Growing local and organic, educating neighborhood kids, supplying your own food in tough times, using zero oil to transport the food, having a safe, traceable food supply, eating healthy, planting eco-friendly, creating community,……
We cannot have our government bodies telling us we can’t grow our own food because it doesn’t conform to some people’s aesthetic.
Hang tough!
Jul 11, 2011 @ 20:37:12
We built two raised beds in my mother’s front yard this spring in a small town in Iowa. She’s received many compliments.
You know if it’s good enough for the front yard of the White House….
Jul 11, 2011 @ 21:11:55
i have just added that to my husband’s lengthy to-do list… that does sound like a good idea-thanks! -julie
Jul 11, 2011 @ 21:15:30
i saw an interveiw with him- very inspiring indeed!
Karmic Restitution Award – July 2011 – Julie Bass, Oak Park, MI | Karmic Restitution
Jul 11, 2011 @ 22:14:57
Jul 11, 2011 @ 22:35:10
I’m thinking during the next election, it might not be a bad idea for the people of Oak Park to seriously consider those they elect and perhaps clean house of those who are no longer working in their interest. Let’s just hope the voters’s memories of this situation is not as short as this politicians foresight.
Jul 11, 2011 @ 23:14:47
I pasted this on my Facebook page too & called the city of Oak Park to say my piece today. Your town should be citing you as a good example of what more people ought to be doing in their own yards, not making a huge case out of a simple well-maintained garden. (let alone wasting taxpayer dollars on this case) What difference should it make to anyone if you’re growing vegetables, vs planting grass or flower beds.
Check out the link that one of my fb friends posted regarding your situation, along with an entire song – not yet in video form – but who knows, it may become one! Her page gets loads of traffic, so this is going national for sure!
If all else fails hopefully your city will be forced to back down & apologize too.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001230502119
Jul 12, 2011 @ 01:28:03
Growing up in Saginaw, and I suspect other places as well, people have been planting vegetable plants all around their property for years. My relatives were always growing peppers and tomatos, and some were planted in between the bushes out front. I comend you for fighting the good fight. Go around the community and take pictures of the unmanicured lawns, foreclosed or abandoned homes that dot metro Detroit. While you are someone who has gone out of their way to take pride in your property, which in turn preserves the standard of your neighborhood. Continue to take this to the press and every outlet that is willing to hear your story. Politicians just “love” negative press. It would be interesting to see who in city government has suitable greenery as well. Do you have support of neighbors on your block? Good luck with your trial.
Growing vegetables can be a one way ticket to jail | I Believe In Butter
Jul 12, 2011 @ 06:48:36
Jul 12, 2011 @ 08:03:55
Typical bureaucratic mind. If there’s not a law telling you specifically it’s allowed, it must be prohibited.
Just a quick note to let you know you’ve got my support.
Jul 12, 2011 @ 12:29:21
What really kills me is that there are cities that are considered vogue, savvy, sophisticated, desirable, etc…. that allow this! When is Michigan going to catch up? Those other cities also allow chickens! Michigan needs to get with the times.
Jul 12, 2011 @ 12:51:06
Julie, I just posted on your facebook page, but let me do it here as well… for what it’s worth, most veggies are technically fruit (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants (which I think may even be considered a berry, as are bananas, not that you’ll be growing bananas in Michigan tho:)). Plus, I should mention that I grow a small portion of my carrots out every 2nd year, simply for the beautiful flowers they produce, and the seeds, which I save & plant, in my front yard. I also have a cactus patch, in my front yard, that I use as a veg and fruit (pads and prickly pears), and they produce beautiful flowers in the late spring/early summer. Those officials need to stop making themselves look any more stupid than they already do, and find a way to make this beneficial for everyone involved. Their behavior reminds me of children fighting and one says “I know you are but what am I”. Just stupid. You should sue for harassment and violations of YOUR rights as a citizen, homeowner… and for good measure, sue them for the main that broke due to their tree’s roots. Idiots.
Best of luck to you! I’ve shared on fb, and will continue to do so. Keep up the good fight!
Jul 12, 2011 @ 13:15:10
Another area to consider to further strengthen your position is how the city is ( or is not) enforcing code…How are they handling abandoned properties, occupied but not maintained (overgrown, dead grass, junk) ? Also, are there other properties that have veggies in the front yard? And, have you started a petition of your neighbors? Since the code is open to interpretation, if the majority of your neighbors are in support, this will further influence a jury.
Also, watch out for future changes being made by the city to “clarify” code. If wording is changed and no “grandfather” clause is included, you could be going through this again next year.
Jul 12, 2011 @ 13:16:00
Another area to consider to further strengthen your position is how the city is ( or is not) enforcing code…How are they handling abandoned properties, occupied but not maintained (overgrown, dead grass, junk) ? Also, are there other properties that have veggies in the front yard? And, have you started a petition of your neighbors? Since the code is open to interpretation, if the majority of your neighbors are in support, this will further influence a jury.
Also, watch out for future changes being made by the city to “clarify” code. If wording is changed and no “grandfather” clause is included, you could be going through this again next year.
Good luck!
Jul 12, 2011 @ 16:26:08
oh boy, i hope not!
Jul 12, 2011 @ 19:23:05
the grandfather clause – does not need to be added as her garden is here in the “flesh” now the dirt and bed and the “roots” are their so any item that are their fall under the clause because it not a Law “now ” but once it does become a law then any new item ( minus the Roots/Plant [ dead or alive ] + Dirt + Beds + Water system + walkways) can be breaking them law
*** if she add new Root / plant next year then yes it would be illegal seeing that the old plant were in place before the law took place ****
Jul 12, 2011 @ 19:49:51
That is the best weblog for anybody who desires to search out out about this topic. You realize a lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really would need…HaHa). You positively put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
Jul 13, 2011 @ 00:01:02
Well, I am from Michigan originally. Although California has been home for 47 years, I always thought Michigan was forward thinking and “first” to a lot of good things! you seem to be a ‘first’. I am fascinated by my neighbors veggie gardens, it gives me such inspiration, and joy on evening walks. If I were your neighbor, i would be right along with you in planting what is not only edible, and better for you than store bought, but beautiful to the eyes! I hope your neighbors feel the same way, and band together with you. Their is strength in numbers! I am still trying to absorb the absurdity of it all. Good luck and good vibes from the West Coast!
Jul 13, 2011 @ 01:29:52
Amazing how many people are supporting you and common sense. Too bad common sense is lacking on the part of some Oak Park City officials. You certainly did your due diligence checking out the laws. I live in the Berkley area. Your front yard is more beautifully maintained than most of the other yards in our area. My Dad would be proud of you. He used to say, ‘You can’t eat flowers, plant vegetables.’ He had a victory garden in the Detroit area. With the ‘imported’ food problems we have experienced, we should all be growing as much food as we can. You can control what is used to help your garden grow. Best of luck to you. Public opinion is on your side. Maybe some Oak Park elected officials should be looking over their shoulders, come November…
Michelle's Musings − Officer: I’m growing Veggies. Not Pot.
Jul 14, 2011 @ 13:41:30
Jul 14, 2011 @ 17:27:46
I have written and sent the following e-mail to your mayor:
“To the Honorable Mayor Naftaly,
As my family and I look for places to possibly relocate around this wonderful country, rest assured that Oak Grove, Michigan has been taken off of that list. I find it reprehensible that the city has chosen to threaten a woman with jail (or any punishment at all) because she is growing edible plants in her front yard. Shame on you and the other representatives for wasting time and money on such a non-issue. Rather should you be praising this family for their innovation and willingness to have a “Victory Garden” in their front yard, an American tradition that has been around for (I imagine) much longer than your town’s vague codes.
Along with thousands of others, I will be sharing this information with those I know. Mr. Rukowlski has given your town a black eye from which it will take a very, very long time to recover. There is, however, an easy fix. Drop the charges. Drop the charges, sir, praise her for her actions and encourage other families to do the same. Encourage a vibrant, growing community that embraces healthy eating with locally grown food. Save time, money, and face by turning this fiasco to your advantage. Demonstrate courage and leadership, and show your town, the country, and (given how viral this has become) the world what wonderful changes a true leader can make.
With respect,….”
I very much encourage others to do the same. The easy fix here is plain. I have a hard time swallowing that this is actually happening, and I hope first and foremost the city will realize its error and drop all charges. Barring that, however, I hope it will become clear during the trial that vague codes are unacceptable–and even more unacceptable is the idea of punishing someone for planting vegetables!
Were I in your neighborhood I would join you in solidarity and plant my own garden.
Jul 14, 2011 @ 18:23:30
thank you so much for your letter and your support! it really does matter to us! -julie
Jul 14, 2011 @ 18:35:14
Hey! Just read they dropped all charges! I am not surprised, as it was incredibly stupid on their part in the first place, but I am pleased. I think my letter didn’t do much good, though! 🙂
I am sorry to hear they are harassing you, still, about your dogs, but I assume that can be resolved easily and quickly with the correct documentation. If they persist in things like that, look into stopping it through legal channels. The last thing you need is to have Mr. Rukowski hounding you the rest of your life.
I really hope that a lot of good comes out of your story, though. It is a wonderful opportunity for your city to promote gardening and eating locally, as well as improving general health by having fresh veggies so easily available (not to mention other health improvements that come from the physical work of gardening). Yay for you! Yay for raising awareness!
Jul 17, 2011 @ 03:08:17
We are sorry to hear of your troubles. Can you appeal to your neighbours to all plant vegetables in there front gardens. A whole street would look nice. best wishes peter
Jul 17, 2011 @ 11:27:40
i could, and some have offered, but as long as the city is on this anti-veggie campaign, i don’t want anyone to get in trouble on my behalf!