Urban Farming Advocates
Formed in June 2009, Urban Farming Advocates (UFA) is a group of individuals, small business owners and organizations seeking to legalize urban farming in the City of L.A. We respectfully challenge outdated ordinances that restrict people's freedom to use residential land for urban agriculture and self-reliance, practiced in a sustainable and responsible way, and in a manner that is directly related to the city's efforts to green Los Angeles.
Apr 15 2010
LA City Council hears the Food & Flowers Freedom Act!
Posted by UFA - 2 years ago - UFA
Greetings supporters!
The Food & Flowers Freedom Act has been waived out of PLUM (Planning and Land Use Management) and will be heard briefly in City Council tomorrow, Friday April 16, 2010.
However, it’s not the actual ordinance that will be heard because the ordinance is not yet written. F&FFA is on the Council agenda so that the Council can direct the City Attorney to rewrite the ordinance with the recommendations approved in the March City Planning meeting. Council President Garcetti will ask that the City Atty complete this work in 1 week.
UFA representatives will attend the City Council meeting tomorrow and report back with the results. Assuming the motion is approved tomorrow and the City Attorney completes the ordinance, The Food & Flowers Freedom Act may be on the agenda for the next Council meeting, the following Friday April 23, 2010.
If so, we will let you know the details and hope to see you there!
Thank you for your continued support of the Food & Flowers Freedom Act.
Download Agenda for Friday, April 16, 2010
The Council meeting starts at 10am tomorrow at City Hall in the Council Chamber. F&FFA is number 43 on an agenda of approx 80 items. It’s not clear when the item will be heard, as items can be taken out of order.
Apr 8 2010
Victory at the Planning Commission hearing!
Posted by UFA - 2 years ago - UFA
Thanks to all who took time out from their busy schedules to support the Food & Flowers Freedom Act at the City Planning Commission meeting on March 25th. Your presence truly helped win the approval of the Planning Commission.
There’s one more important hurdle where a show of community support will make a big difference – the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) committee of the City Council. We don’t have a date for the PLUM hearing yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.
In the meantime, please feel free to talk about the Food & Flowers Freedom Act with your friends. See you at PLUM.
And here’s the UFA post-victory photo shoot…
left to right, Erik Knutzen, Homegrown Evolution, UFA; Laura Garcia, SLF CSA shareholder in Beachwood Canyon; Jed Lind, artist and SLF CSA vollie; Shelley Marks, UFA & cooking consultant SLF; Bella Allen, SLF CSA shareholder in Beachwood Canyon; Bruce Chan, SLF shareholder in Silverlake; Jeremy Drake, UFA; Molly Morrison, SLF vollie; Matthew; Emmanuelle Bernard, SLF CSA shareholder in Beachwood Canyon; Tara Kolla, SLF, UFA; Elizabeth Curbo, SLF vollie; Tamar Halpern, SLF CSA shareholder in Silverlake; Kirsty Hume, super duper supermodel; Beat Frutiger, SLF.
Mar 24 2010
TIME FOR PUBLIC HEARING – 3/25
Posted by UFA - 2 years ago - UFA
SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD & FLOWERS! SUPPORT THE FOOD & FLOWERS FREEDOM ACT!
The urban farming movement needs your support at the public hearing tomorrow in Van Nuys.
Your voice and support for the MOVEMENT is critical.
The hearing will take place tomorrow: Thursday March 25. Come at 8:30am. Expect to be there a few hours.
When you arrive, please fill out a speaker’s card.
Address:
Van Nuys City Hall
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor
14410 Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, 91401
The Food & Flowers Freedom Act is about allowing Angelenos to sell homegrown fruit, flowers and seedlings offsite, at local farmers’ markets for example.
THANK YOU!
SEE YOU TOMORROW!
Mar 19 2010
SUPPORT URBAN FARMING ! Thurs 3/25
Posted by UFA - 2 years ago - UFA
Click here to view the Planning Commission Agenda:
view the Planning Commission Agenda for the March 25th meeting.
Click here to view the Truck Gardening Clarification:
view the Truck Gardening Clarification presented by the City of Los Angeles Dept of City Planning at the March Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Meeting
Oct 9 2009
THE FOOD & FLOWERS FREEDOM ACT NEEDS YOUR HELP
Posted by UFA - 3 years ago - UFA
PROBLEM:
In 1946, a Los Angeles municipal code known as the Truck Gardening Ordinance was written to allow the growing of vegetables in residential (R) zones for sale off-site. This means that currently, it is technically prohibited for city dwellers in residential zones to grow fruits, nuts, flowers or seedlings and sell them off-site – at local farmers’ markets for example.
UFA believes that LA’s current zoning does not support urban farming or people’s growing desire to have access to locally-grown, organic, fresh, nutritious, safe and pesticide-free food and flowers.
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SOLUTION:
On July 8, 2009, City Council President Eric Garcetti, introduced a motion to explore allowing “the cultivation of flowers, fruits, nuts or vegetables defined as the product of any tree, vine or plant, and that these products be allowed for use on-site or sale off-site.”
UFA has dubbed this motion the Food & Flowers Freedom Act.
Councilmember Garcetti believes that “it is in the interest of the city to promote the growth, harvest, on-site consumption and off-site sale of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other urban gardening products in the city. The growth of these products, and their sale at local farmers’ markets and other fresh food access programs, are directly related to the city’s efforts to green Los Angeles (by reducing the carbon footprint of food imported from other parts of the country and world), promote nutrition (by providing fresh produce in the city), and foster stronger bonds in the community (by encouraging local participation in farmers’ markets and other fresh food access programs), and create local sustainable job opportunities.
If you agree, then please take action. The Food & Flowers Freedom Act needs your support, and lots of it!
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ACTION:
Here’s what you can do to legalize urban farming in LA.
1. Please write to your Los Angeles City Councilmember.
To find your local councilmember, go to this link: http://lacity.org/lacity/YourGovernment/CityCouncil/index.htm
2. Subject: The Food & Flowers Freedom Act
Tell your councilmember that you support urban farming in Los Angeles and the Food & Flowers Freedom Act, otherwise known as Motion 09-1685 introduced by City Council President Eric Garcetti on July 8, 2009.
3. Tell your councilmember: I want the Planning Department to expedite their work and legalize the growing of urban farming products (such as flowers, fruit and nuts) in LA City residential zones for sale off-site, at farmers’ markets for example.
LA’s current zoning and the Truck Gardening Ordinance of 1946, which the Food & Flowers Freedom Act seeks to reform, do not support urban agriculture, small business or Angelenos’ growing desire to have access to locally-grown, organic, fresh, nutritious, safe and pesticide-free food and flowers.
The Food & Flowers Freedom Act is directly related to the city’s efforts to green Los Angeles. Please tell City Planning to expedite this Act. It is also directly related to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s creation of a task force on September 3, 2009 to promote food safety in the city. Thank you.
4. IMPORTANT please cc : Council President Eric Garcetti at councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org and gdake@pacbell.net
5. THANK YOU!!
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