Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

It looks like more and more people are getting sick of the fake 9-5

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Farm? I think that it's called a garden...

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

All I know is that I will never have a lawn. If I am growing something, it will be food.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

I love what this family is doing with their yard. http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Some towns have strict regulations on lawns. They'll fine you if you try to put anything but well mowed grass out front. In some cases, they regulate what can be seen from the street.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

+200!!

right on point as always Mum......

You think lawn doctor et all is gonna stand pat while business is literally turned "upside down" ?? HA!!

You think towns that are desperate for tax revenue are going to pass this money maker up ?? HA HA !!

When the food shortages begin FOR REAL you think the gubbermint is going to allow people is suburbia the option of NOT being plugged into the grid?? HARDEE HAR HAR!!

They are greenies today..... dissidents against the fatherland tommarow.


How long until .....that is anybody guess.


T

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

:rolleyes_m: Why do they always play banjo music when they do a news report on farming ?

I plant about 5 acres every year and I like hard rock and blues....I hate that stereotype yuppie crap. The MSM perceive all farmers as tobacco chewing,redneck trailer trash straight out of Deliverance.

:bear_w00t::bear_w00t::bear_w00t:

Get a clue dudes...we listen to Megadeath and Jimi Hendrix on the CD players in our air conditioned tractors while tearing up the dirt.
Doesn't everyone ?

:D:D:D

Wow...this could be a new trend...10 million illegals on welfare no longer employed in lawn care maintenance.
I live in the country...my nearest neighbor raises beef cattle on his 5 acre front lawn and thinks it's cool...saves a ton on lawn maintenance too.

I can see the cities rushing to pass ordinances to prevent widespread suburban gardens in the near future.
J6P might get the idea he/she could actually grow their own food and that's a bad thing.

If you don't have the land to plant a reasonable sized vegetable garden go with Hydroponics...convert that rarely used living room or spare bedroom into a 24/7 food growing paradise instead of whining about high food prices.

" Hey Alice...go upstairs and pick some nice strawberries out of the bathtub and maybe a watermelon for our dinner guests."

Why not... ?

:bear_w00t::D:bear_w00t:

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Yeah I'm in suburbia and have been tending a healthy size vegetable garden in my backyard for about 5 years now. It's great not only for growing your own healthy, organic food but to learn about the process and to relax tending to the veggies after a hard day's work.

I like to grow lettuce, tomato, sweet pepper, hot pepper, eggplant, swiss chard, peas, parsley, garlic, onion, radish, spinach... tastes better than anything you can buy in the store that's for sure.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Can I pick up some surplus if you have any???:bear_tongue:

T

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Yeah, but if they are smart, they'll expand their product mix to include backyard veggie gardens. Better a two trick pony.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

I was fittin' the bill till you hit that part...
'sept I aint no farmer:D

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

I, for one, would under no circumstances EVER buy property in a town like you describe, or in a place with a HOA of any kind.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Thanks for that link, had a city friend asking for some sites and couldn't remember what the URL was.

The part where the reporter states something like "Neighbors may not be so happy about seeing dirt and veggies instead of green grass." Probably the same neighbors fighting nightly about the big increase in their food bill and the need to eat healthier but are unable to 'afford' it.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Here is a town by-law that passed in my town to keep developers at bay. No complaints about my chickens so far. Too bad a law is needed for this type of thing.

MODEL RIGHT TO FARM BY-LAW
Section 1 Legislative Purpose and Intent
The purpose and intent of this By-law is to state with emphasis the Right to Farm accorded to all citizens of the Commonwealth under Article 97, of the Constitution, and all state statutes and regulations thereunder including but not limited to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3, Paragraph 1; Chapter 90, Section 9, Chapter 111, Section 125A and Chapter 128 Section 1A.

We the citizens of [Farm-Town] restate and republish these rights pursuant to the Town�s authority conferred by Article 89 of the Articles of Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution, (�Home Rule Amendment�).
This General By-law encourages the pursuit of agriculture, promotes agriculture-based economic opportunities, and protects farmlands within the Town of [Farm-Town] by allowing agricultural uses and related activities to function with minimal conflict with abutters and Town agencies. This By-law shall apply to all jurisdictional areas within the Town.

Section 2 Definitions
The word "farm" shall include any parcel or contiguous parcels of land, or water bodies used for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, or accessory thereto.
The words "farming" or �agriculture" or their derivatives shall include, but not be limited to the following:
� farming in all its branches and the cultivation and tillage of the soil;
� dairying;
� production, cultivation, growing, and harvesting of any agricultural, aquacultural, floricultural, viticultural, or horticultural commodities;
� growing and harvesting of forest products upon forest land, and any other forestry or lumbering operations;
� raising of livestock including horses;
� keeping of horses as a commercial enterprise; and
� keeping and raising of poultry, swine, cattle, ratites (such as emus, ostriches and rheas) and camelids (such as llamas and camels), and other domesticated animals for food and other agricultural purposes, including bees and fur-bearing animals.
�Farming� shall encompass activities including, but not limited to, the following:
� operation and transportation of slow-moving farm equipment over roads within the Town;
� control of pests, including, but not limited to, insects , weeds, predators and disease organism of plants and animals;
� application of manure, fertilizers and pesticides;
� conducting agriculture-related educational and farm-based recreational activities, including agri-tourism, provided that the activities are related to marketing the agricultural output or services of the farm;
� processing and packaging of the agricultural output of the farm and the operation of a farmer's market or farm stand including signage thereto;
� maintenance, repair, or storage of seasonal equipment, or apparatus owned or leased by the farm owner or manager used expressly for the purpose of propagation, processing, management, or sale of the agricultural products; and
� on-farm relocation of earth and the clearing of ground for farming operations.

Section 3 Right To Farm Declaration
The Right to Farm is hereby recognized to exist within the Town of [Farm-Town]. The above-described agricultural activities may occur on holidays, weekdays, and weekends by night or day and shall include the attendant incidental noise, odors, dust, and fumes associated with normally accepted agricultural practices. It is hereby determined that whatever impact may be caused to others through the normal practice of agriculture is more than offset by the benefits of farming to the neighborhood, community, and society in general. The benefits and protections of this By-law are intended to apply exclusively to those commercial agricultural and farming operations and activities conducted in accordance with generally accepted agricultural practices. Moreover, nothing in this Right To Farm By-law shall be deemed as acquiring any interest in land, or as imposing any land use regulation, which is properly the subject of state statute, regulation, or local zoning law.

Section 4 Disclosure Notification
Not later than 21 days after the purchase and sale contract is entered into, or prior to the sale or exchange of real property if no purchase and sale agreement exists, for the purchase or exchange of real property, or prior to the acquisition of a leasehold interest or other possessory interest in real property, located in the Town of [Farm-Town], the landowner shall present the buyer or occupant with a disclosure notification which states the following:
�It is the policy of this community to conserve, protect and encourage the maintenance and improvement of agricultural land for the production of food, and other agricultural products, and also for its natural and ecological value. This disclosure notification is to inform buyers or occupants that
the property they are about to acquire or occupy lies within a town where farming activities occur. Such farming activities may include, but are not limited to, activities that cause noise, dust and odors. Buyers or occupants are also informed that the location of property within the Town may be impacted by commercial agricultural operations including the ability to access water services for such property under certain circumstances.�
A copy of the disclosure notification shall be given on a form prepared by the Town and shall be signed by the landowner prior to the sale, purchase, exchange or occupancy of such real property. A copy of the disclosure notification must be filed with the Board of Selectmen or its designee prior to the sale, purchase, exchange or occupancy of such real property. In addition to the above, a copy of this disclosure notification shall be provided by the Town to landowners each fiscal year by mail.
A violation of Section 4 shall be subject to a fine of $300 and shall be enforced by the Board of Selectmen or its designee. The Town is authorized to enforce Section 4 under the non-criminal disposition provision of G.L. c. 40, � 21D.

Section 5 Resolution of Disputes
[Applicable only in communities that have Agricultural Commissions.]
Any person who seeks to complain about the operation of a farm may, notwithstanding pursuing any other available remedy, file a grievance with the Select Board, the Zoning Enforcement Officer, or the Board of Health, depending upon the nature of the grievance. The filing of the grievance does not suspend the time within which to pursue any other available remedies that the aggrieved may have. The Zoning Enforcement Officer or Select Board may forward a copy of the grievance to the Agricultural Commission or its agent,
which shall review and facilitate the resolution of the grievance, and report its recommendations to the referring Town authority within an agreed upon time frame.
The Board of Health, except in cases of imminent danger or public health risk, may forward a copy of the grievance to the Agricultural Commission or its agent, which shall review and facilitate the resolution of the grievance, and report its recommendations to the Board of Health within an agreed upon time frame.

Section 6 Severability Clause
If any part of this By-law is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the remainder of this By-law. The Town of [Farm- Town] hereby declares the provisions of this By-law to be severable.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

And you know exactly where it's been and what it's been sprayed with.
That's a BIG positive for growing your own.

Most noobies should probably start out with a smaller selection and maybe eventually build up to your wide variety of veggies.

Noobie food gardeners should find out what's easy to grow with minimum input and max return, and then branch out to the tougher stuff.

I'm a big fan of greens like the brassicas. They're quite good for you and it can be difficult to find quality, fresh cooking greens at the grocery store. You can easily grow your own.

Broccoli; mustard greens; oriental hybrids; collards etc. :D

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

I do too. Great video.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Thanks for the link to that urban homestead video. It was very uplifiting for me because I realized, if they can do something like that on that tiny piece of land in the desert of SoCal, just imagine what I might be able to do on a few acres with plentiful water and soil!

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

I cut some greens off some onions that have persisted from a group of sets I planted three years back and they taste like hell. Way too strong and with an excessively sulphrous flavor as if they were almost rotting. I almost gagged when I cut them up and put them on some cream cheese I slathered on a bagel.

Last year the greens werent like this. No clue what the problem is. That's my garden question of the day.

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Pasadena has some of the nicest weather in the country,I wouldnt exactly refer to it as desert,ala Barstow or something.

With their year round growing climate,rather moderate temps, they have quite an advantage most dont have.

Not to knock them,they have done a stellar job for sure.But do that in a backyard in Victorville all I can say is good luck.Can you say blast furnace winds?

Re: Backyard farming going mainstream?
 

Nearly all of SoCal is a desert. If the water wasn't imported there, it would be dead brush/chapparal, and greenery would be nonexistent. I live here, so I know :wink: It's shocking to visit places like Oregon and Washington (or even central CA) after living in the dust for so many years.