Thousands Demand Judge Save Memphis Garden from Destruction

In fewer than five days, more than 2,500 people have joined an online campaign urging a judge to save a Memphis urban garden from destruction.

Memphis residents Kristen Heath and Hannah Giles launched the campaign on Change.org after reading about Adam Guerrero’s garden in the local newspaper.

Guerrero, a high school math teacher and board member of the organization GrowMemphis, grows vegetables, raises honeybees, and produces biodiesel in the yard of his Nutbush-area home. Judge Larry Potter recently deemed Guerrero’s garden to be a “nuisance” that contained “rubbish or garbage,” and ruled that he must dismantle the operation. Guerrero is set to appear in court on Friday, September 23, 2011, to prove that he complied with Judge Potter’s ruling. Local citizens are working to reverse the ruling before Friday’s hearing.

“Hannah and I started the campaign because Adam is doing something amazing,” said Heath. “Not only is he teaching his students sustainability, he is offering them an alternative to a life on the streets. 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.”

“A garden is not a nuisance or an eye sore,” said Heath. “This is not an abandoned lot where vagrants and vermin roam free. It is a very well taken care of plot of land used to teach kids skills they would not otherwise learn.”

Guerrero has cultivated his urban garden for the past two years, oftentimes bringing local school students to the property to teach them math skills and how to produce food sustainably. The garden came under fire after a neighbor complained, resulting in court hearings and a judicial decision that Guerrero must dismantle the garden. The garden is still intact for now, with local activists working to keep it that way.

“It has been wonderful to see Memphis citizens using our platform to express their support for something they care about,” said Sarah Parsons, a Senior Organizer at Change.org. “The popularity of this campaign shows that Adam’s story specifically, and urban gardening more generally, really resonate with people.”

Guerrero must appear in court on Friday, September 23rd, to prove that he complied with the judge’s ruling. He has yet to dismantle the garden.

If you would like to voice your support for Guerrero's garden, sign Hannah's and Kristen's petition here.

Photo credit: jayneandd via Flickr