Memphis Judge May Force Shut Down of Urban Garden

Memphis resident and school teacher, Adam Guerrero, brings new meaning to the term "green thumb." In the front and back yards of his Nutbush-area home, Guerrero grows eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers; makes his own biodiesel and soap; composts all of his food scraps; harvests rainwater; and even raises honeybees.

Guerrero's urban garden is certainly a community attraction. It's a big hit with the local students he invites over to learn gardening and food production skills. The operation even earned high praise from Felder Rushing, author of several gardening books and board member of the American Horticulture Association. Rushing recently told Commercial Appeal that Guerrero's garden was "his kind of yard."

But despite Guerrero's good deeds and growing fan club, his garden may not live beyond this week.

Guerrero's neighbor recently registered a complaint with the city, claiming that Guerrero's yard was messy, and that the compost bins attracted rodents. The complaint made its way to the Shelby County Environmental Court, where Judge Larry Potter ruled that the garden was indeed a "nuisance" to the community. Judge Potter said that Guerrero must dismantle the garden and come back for a hearing this Friday, September 23rd, to prove that he complied with the ruling. Guerrero will likely be forced to dig up the garden he's cultivated for more than two years if the decision is not overturned.

Community members are appalled by Judge Potter's ruling that the garden be dismantled. "Not only is he [Guerrero] teaching his students sustainability, he is offering them an alternative to a life on the streets," said Memphis resident Kristen Heath who, along with Hannah Giles, started a petition on Change.org to save Guerrero's garden. "Memphians are constantly being bombarded with negative stories in the news about shootings, robberies, teen pregnancy, drug use, and many other things. Adam has gone above and beyond to mentor his students and the kids in his neighborhood and should be praised for his hard work, not punished.”

The outrage over Judge Potter's ruling extends beyond the Memphis community, too. More than 6,000 people across the world have signed an online petition pushing for Judge Potter's decision to be overturned. Local and national media outlets continue to cover Guerrero's case, with stories cropping up in the Memphis Flyer, WREG, Grist, Treehugger, and the Washington Post.

The backlash over Judge Potter's ruling comes in part from the ridiculousness of the story — a local math teacher tries to educate urban youth in sustainable farming and gets raked through the coals in the process. But outrage isn't just for Guerrero— it's for the war on gardens that's happening across the U.S.

Urban gardeners typically start growing fruits and veggies to improve their communities and ensure local food security. Yet these growers consistently run up against all sorts of red tape like antiquated zoning ordinances, unfair regulations, and nosy neighbors. South Los Angeles resident Ron Finley was recently issued a citation for growing a garden on his parkway without a permit. Julie Bass, a Michigan homeowner, was charged with a misdemeanor this summer and faced more than 90 days in jail for building raised vegetable beds in her front yard. And a Georgia man was slapped with a fine last year for growing too many vegetables on his property.

"Our country was founded on the egalitarian principles of 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,' and this applies especially to our gardens," said Rusher. "As long as we are truly not causing problems - or have not signed away our rights through absurd covenants - it is our right to have whatever style garden we choose, and that applies to naturalistic/wildlife-friendly gardens, or food gardens. It is our right and our obligation to conserve resources through recycling, composting, collecting rainwater, using a clothesline, etc."

Which brings us back to Guerrero. The math teacher is desperately trying to hang onto his garden, and as of right now, he hasn't dismantled anything. If the ruling isn't overturned before Friday's hearing, Guerrero and his thousands of supporters must hope that Judge Potter shows leniency.

There have been enough casualties in America's war on gardens. If you haven't already, please show your support for Adam Guerrero and sign the petition to save his Memphis garden.

Photo credit: Ajith_chatie via Flickr