Should Front Yard Vegetable Gardens Be Illegal?

on July 8, 2011 at 3:04 PM

sued for planting vegetable garden It's time to play "Watch Government Waste in Action!" Today's contestant is the city of Oak Park, Michigan. Here's what's going down: The powers-that-be in this Detroit suburb decided to pick a fight with a mom who started a vegetable garden in her front yard, and use their limited funds to take her to court for daring to grow a string bean. But wait, it gets better.

The vegetable farmer in question planted the garden after the city had torn up her front yard to repair a sewer line. So her response to the city trashing her yard was to improve the area. The city didn't like that. Huh?

I honestly don't get it. The city charged Julie Bass with a misdemeanor for planting basil, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It is apparently against (a very vague) code that does not allow for the growing of vegetables in the front yard. In fact, the exact language of the code is "... all unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass or ground cover or shrubbery or other suitable live plant material."

The fight is due to the fact that Bass believes vegetables are suitable, and the city rep thinks that it is quite unsuitable to see a cucumber poking up in your front yard. So this town that has already furloughed its workers and cancelled the fireworks on the 4th of July has time and money to pursue a woman growing fresh food for her family. All over the difference of opinion of the definition of the word "suitable."

Julie Bass is set to go on trial later this month in a stunning waste of city money. While the city claims it was Bass who wanted the trial, and thus is to blame for the cost, it's pretty obvious that the woman is defending her right to grow food on her own property. I wouldn't pay a ticket either for doing something we all should be doing -- growing our own healthy food, saving our family money, and setting a good example for our children.

Do you think this mom is wrong for growing a vegetable garden in her front yard?

Image via net_efekt/Flickr

About the author April Peveteaux

writes about anything that gets stuck in her craw. A mom of two in Los Angeles, she can't believe she practically lives in the country now after attempting to raise kids in Brooklyn.

Filed Under: gardening, newsworthy, outdoors

Comments (15)

Momtohalfdzn

on Jul 8, 2011 at 3:18 PM

What kind of ninnies run this town? Gardens are flowering plants that end up with fruit as a result. I cannot for the life of me understand how a town can waste their funds on this crap. Think, they could have donated this money to their schools or parks or something else more constructive.

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SpikedMango

on Jul 8, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Of course they don't want people growing their own food. That'd show we CAN survive without this crappy government.

This is such BS. You pay for your property and you should be able to do whatever the heck you want with it aesthetically.

Facebook comment from Michelle Lynn Jones

on Jul 8, 2011 at 3:24 PM

Please help Julie by signing her petition... http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oak-park-hates-veggies/

Ladywithtwo

on Jul 8, 2011 at 3:35 PM

That's a bunch of BS. In Ga, they are trying to pass laws allowing people to raise small livestock in city limits for food. It's a great idea! Why not encourage people to feed themselves???

micheledo

on Jul 8, 2011 at 3:58 PM

She should contact Michelle Obama and see if she will help out. She is on a mission to get America eating healthier, wonder what a phone call would do from Michelle Obama to Michigan. :D

cassie_kellison

on Jul 8, 2011 at 4:32 PM

My neighbor has a veggie garden in their front yard, and while I find it an eyesore, and personally would never plant a veggie garden in my front yard, it's not for me to go complaining. It's their yard and they can do whatever they want in it. But I will say I am Very impressed with their huge pumpkin! It's only July and it's huge, I can only imagine how awesome that bad boy's going to be come Halloween!

country50gal

on Jul 8, 2011 at 4:52 PM

No she is not wrong to grow veggies in her front yard. I have chives and rhubarb and sunflowers in my front yard. Oh yea there is a chokecherry bush too. All food items. OMG. Where does she live? Who would want to live and pay taxes there? Aren't there bigger issues that this town has to deal with?

dirtiekittie

on Jul 8, 2011 at 5:06 PM

so lame. these city rules that they're coming up with 'for the beautification of our city' or whatever rubbish they're calling it now is complete nonsense. i grew up in a far more rural area (2 acres to a yard, county roads type thing) and living in the city now is a terror! you have all these regulations (for example, where i live, your garage cannot be converted to ANY kind of living space. you MUST show you have room for a vehicle in your garage. also, you can only park perpendicular to the street - no offside parallel parking next to your own garage! ridiculous!)

how about we stop wasting tax dollars on idiot things like who can grow a carrot where and give a crap about education? or a program to help teach families healthy eating habits for their families? or a work-life program for underprivileged teens? Oh wait! that's actually GOOD and LOGICAL... two words that do not compute when it comes to the government.