City Of Orlando Florida Decides Gardening Is Not Illegal

UPDATE TO A NOVEMBER STORY:

Authorities in Orlando, Fla. — who tried in November to force a resident to dig up and destroy a vegetable garden he planted in his front yard –?have relented and are allowing the family to keep their garden. Jason Helvingston planted a 25 x 25 foot micro-irrigated garden of radishes, wax beans, kale and other veggies in front of his house.

Officials originally said that the lot of produce is in violation of city ordinances. That ordinance requires any ground cover to be planted in such a way that it gives off a finished appearance; to preserve property values.

“You’ll take my house before you take my vegetable garden,” Jason told WKMG at the time. “There’s nothing wrong here, there’s nothing poisonous here. This is a sustainable.”?(Source)

Helvingston decided not to listen to the city’s demands and keep his garden intact. For him, the issue is about private property rights and preparedness.He saw it as another attempt by the government to diminish freedom.

“This is another example of the government telling us what we can do with our own property — that should never happen. In any economic downturn in the past history of the United States, the government has always encouraged the people to grow their own food, and so we want to continue with that movement.” (Source)

Through his efforts — and emails to city officials from hundreds of people from all over the country — the city has decided not to pursue any violations against him.? Instead, city officials said they’re trying to work out a solution, which could result in a change in the city’s landscaping codes. Jon Ippel, the city’s sustainability director, made this comment.

“The times are changing quicker than our codes can adapt, and so we’re certainly looking at this as an opportunity to look at what the new standards should be.” (Source)

City codes in Orlando are representative of those in many communities. Homeowners are told by micromanaging bureaucrats that they are not permitted to grow food for themselves. Just as in Jason Helvingston’s case, all they want to do is grow some of their own food, regardless of that kind of self-sufficiency and preparedness mindset being against the rules.

Sustainability, self-sufficiency and non-dependence – all attributes of a truly free people.

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I am a liberal from the overly conservative state of North Carolina, and to make a bigger distinction, I am a Secular Humanist. My goal is to objectively study and relay information in the pursuit of enlightenment; to confront and persuade people away from the pervasive ignorance of inequality. I aim to understand and appreciate all basic values in hopes to form a mutual understanding between my fellow women and men.