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Fruit & Flowers Go Legit: Ordinance on Urban Farming Approved
Photo by Lucyrk in LA via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Naming the movement the "Food & Flowers Freedom Act," urban farming advocates went before the City Planning Commission this morning at a hearing in Van Nuys to put forth a proposed ordinance amending outdated and unclear language on record in Los Angeles since 1946. Following the hearing, the CPC voted unanimously in approval of the proposed amendments.
Called "Truck Gardening," the ordinance was initially meant to outline what items can be farmed and sold within city limits. However decades later, urban farmers have run into problems understanding and operating within the laws, partially because many terms and parameters needed clarification. The proposal put forth today brings such clarity to the ordinance, and, as one of its chief proponents, Tara Kolla of Silver Lake Farms exclaimed on Twitter this morning: "The planning commission voted yes accross the board!!! Flowers are legal again!!! And fruit!!! Hurrah!"
The next step is for City Council to adopt the ordinance as endorsed by the CPC.
Read the full Department of City Planning Recommendation Report from today's hearing here.
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