Hundreds to Los Angeles City Council: Let Us Grow Gardens!

In fewer than 48 hours, more than 300 people have joined a campaign on Change.org calling on Los Angeles City Council members to support gardening in the city.

Ron Finley, a South Los Angeles resident who launched the online petition campaign at Change.org, is asking that councilmembers amend an ordinance which requires residents to obtain costly permits before growing gardens on parkways, the city-owned strips of land between curbs and sidewalks.

“The high cost of the permit to plant is very prohibitive for communities will very little excess income,” said Finley. “A lot of these places have very few options for healthy fruits and vegetables, so they are being called ‘food deserts.’ Parkway gardens would add food options, enhance lives, open up communication, and build stronger ties in communities."

Los Angeles residents are required to maintain their parkways by mowing and watering them. But under a local ordinance, citizens wishing to grow plants on parkways must first obtain permits which cost at least $400 and up to thousands of dollars. Even with the permits, plants can be no taller than 36 inches.

Finley uses his parkway garden to produce food for himself and to give away to neighbors. He is also a founder of L.A. Green Grounds, an organization formed to help establish gardens in the South Los Angeles community.

Finley began growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers on the parkway in front of his Crenshaw-area home in December of 2010. The city threatened to make Finley get rid of the garden, but backed off in August after community members, local press, and Change.org members rallied support.

“The response to Finley’s petition in just 48 hours has been impressive,” said Sarah Parsons, Senior Organizer at Change.org. “It’s encouraging to see gardeners like Ron get so much support for their campaigns for change in local communities.”

In August, Councilman Herb Wesson expressed support for Finley’s garden and for a resolution that would eliminate costly, time-consuming permits for growing produce on parkways.

Photo credit: Ron Finley