New Urban Farming Ordinance Creating Controversy Among Active Farmers

There are few operations I respect more than Growing Power, which pioneered impressive not-for-profit urban gardens in Milwaukee and Chicago.

So it’s alarming to see Erika Allen, one of Growing Power’s principals quoted in the Tribune saying that if Chicago’s proposed urban farming ordinance goes into effect, it’ll stunt the growth of her organization and possibly many others.

Monica Eng reports that the ordinance will regulate fencing, plot size, processing and landscaping of everything from commercial plots to not-for-profit farms and community gardens.

“We couldn’t do any of our projects,” Allen told Eng. “They’re all over the size limit. We couldn’t sell produce at our Cabrini-Green farm stand. And some of our expanded projects would also be affected.”

That would certainly be a shame.

So I hope that, as Eng reports from others, that the concerns are largely overblown and that the wrinkles in the ordinance can be worked out so that urban farming can continue to take root in Chicago.