Keeping the Food Police at Bay

[Kirk Freeman]

Summer time brings up images of leafy green gardens . . . all in violation of some ordinance or another.

Reason magazine examines the struggles of keeping food legal:

I Say Tomato, You Say No - Reason.com

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

That's why we need all those drones! Damn tomato growers.

 

[Ash]

From the article:

Zoning is intended—say its proponents—to prevent nuisances from arising. But when zoning itself becomes the nuisance, and when it gets in the way of people using their own property how they’d like--and exactly no one is made better off, save for the bureaucrats who make and enforce the ordinances--then that piece of zoning must fall.

Is that reason I read?

 

[rambone]

Have you had a change of heart about supporting property rights, Kirk?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Have you had a change of heart about supporting property rights, Kirk?

No, ram, I support the Constitution's right to property.

While I believe that government's role is limited to defending property against attacks by others, the garden regulations are just inane and cross the line.

 

[KLB]

More reason to live in the middle of farm land. No stupid regulations about what I grow or how tall my grass is.

 

[rambone]

Kirk, I think this is fundamentally the same concept as other zoning laws that you have supported. If somebody down the street feels your tomatoes or peppers depreciates their resale value, then how is a garden fundamentally different than unmowed grass and unfinished siding projects? You argued that unsightly parts of other people's properties are like a "weapon" being used against your property value. This is no different.

 

[hornadylnl]

Kirk, I think this is fundamentally the same concept as other zoning laws that you have supported. If somebody down the street feels your tomatoes or peppers depreciates their resale value, then how is a garden fundamentally different than unmowed grass and unfinished siding projects? You argued that unsightly parts of other people's properties are like a "weapon" being used against your property value. This is no different.

 

[theweakerbrother]

I'm laughing and crying at the same damn time.

 

[level.eleven]

No, ram, I support the Constitution's right to property.

While I believe that government's role is limited to defending property against attacks by others, the garden regulations are just inane and cross the line.

Woah. Hanging 30+ orange Home Depot 5 gallon buckets from swing sets in your front yard is okay?

I think Rambone has a point about the change of heart.

Take a look at the pics of the "garden" ripped out the lady's front yard as well.

 

[rambone]

Gardens attract way more critters than long grass. Imagine the stench of a compost heap next door.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Kirk, I think this is fundamentally the same concept as other zoning laws that you have supported. If somebody down the street feels your tomatoes or peppers depreciates their resale value, then how is a garden fundamentally different than unmowed grass and unfinished siding projects?

Look, I know in the world of L. Neil Smith/Firefly/Inter Alia there are no gradations of anything, but it is not the same.

Unmowed grass and unfinished siding=crap shack that damages others.

A garden=a garden, no damage to others.

If your garden becomes a rat harbor, then it become something different.

You argued that unsightly parts of other people's properties are like a "weapon" being used against your property value. This is no different.

No, again a mischaracterization. Government's interest must go beyond unsightly into protecting fellow property owners from the a**holes who use their property as a weapon against others--throwing trash in the lawn or street, unkept rat harbors, crap shacks, inter alia. It must be something more than what color the house is painted or whether one grows peppers or flowers in the garden.

 

[cobber]

Can I keep chickens in my garden? I have a nice discreet coop that fits in with the neighborhood architecture. And I can recycle the 'by-products'. A shovel-ready green job!

 

[level.eleven]

No, again a mischaracterization. Government's interest must go beyond unsightly into protecting fellow property owners from the a**holes who use their property as a weapon against others--throwing trash in the lawn or street, unkept rat harbors, crap shacks, inter alia. It must be something more than what color the house is painted or whether one grows peppers or flowers in the garden.

What about un-treated lumber being used to construct 4 swing sets in your front yard in order to hang 30+ safety orange 5 gallon buckets?

Here is a pic of another "garden" from your article. This lady had her "garden" removed from her front yard.

Picking and choosing winners is bad, inconsistent policy.

Would you classify these two pics as "weapons"?

In addition, I thought Reason was edited by the local high school libertarians. I guess it becomes kosher when it fits the narrative.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Lawns that are eyesores only are not public nuisance.

Picking and choosing winners is bad, inconsistent policy.

No, the policy is protecting the property rights of others against the a**holes who want to waste their property. It is simply implementing the Doctrine against Waste.

In addition, I thought Reason was edited by the local high school libertarians.

8th graders, although I believe most 8th graders would know that "Orville Fabus" was actually Orval Fabus, even if the 8th graders do not own a black leather jacket.

 

[jedi]

More reason to live in the middle of farm land. No stupid regulations about what I grow or how tall my grass is.

If you read the article the lady in souterhn IL lives on property zoned as farmland in an unincorporated county of IL and yet the zoning board is not letting her have farm animals (ie. Chickens) on said property!

Woah. Hanging 30+ orange Home Depot 5 gallon buckets from swing sets in your front yard is okay?

I think Rambone has a point about the change of heart.

Here is a pic of it:

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I'm so glad my neighbors don't do stuff like that.. I'd have to be moving!

 

[hornadylnl]

I'm so glad my neighbors don't do stuff like that.. I'd have to be moving!

Why would you move? It's the offended who get to dictate property usage.

 

[KLB]

If you read the article the lady in souterhn IL lives on property zoned as farmland in an unincorporated county of IL and yet the zoning board is not letting her have farm animals (ie. Chickens) on said property!

not where I live

 

[88GT]

Gardens attract way more critters than long grass.

You're making that up.

Gardens are maintained and the continual presence of humans keeps away those that come with vacancy. What gardens attract are generally present anyway (raccoons, opossums, chipmunks, etc.) I haven't had more of any of those critters since my garden was built.

I grew up next to a house that was set afire by the owner. Months and months went by before it was bought for reconstruction. During that time, the lawn was left unattended. Grass was waist high or better. It brought rodents, which brought snakes. And who knows what else. But my garden next door never had problems with any of them

Imagine the stench of a compost heap next door.

Have you ever kept a compost pile? They don't stink. They are not garbage piles. If someone's compost is stinking, he's got a garbage pile, not a compost heap.