Donations count

Posted on April 12, 2011 | 21 Comments

I can’t believe how nice you all are.
I feel like I’ve been spare-changing my friends. Or just being a bar-fly at the local watering hole, blubbering.
Thanks to you all who donated, thought about donating, wanted to donate but haven’t yet, or wanted to donate but can’t. I haven’t quite figured out PayPal will interact with my bank (I’m slow), but it looks like we’ve reached the $2500 goal in pledges. This is so rad, I had no idea you’d all spring for me–thank you, thank you.
Ok, gotta go pack for my talk at Western Kentucky.

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21 responses to “Donations count”

TonyTruax | April 12, 2011 at 7:53 pm |

Awesome!
Mary | April 12, 2011 at 8:17 pm |

Have a safe trip!
U | April 12, 2011 at 8:35 pm |

Congratulations, Novella, and fuck all the haters!
ChristineZ | April 12, 2011 at 8:39 pm |

Well deserved. 🙂
Birdy | April 13, 2011 at 6:42 am |

I’m so happy to hear you’ve made your goal, Novella! And I’m with U, here. Fuck all them haters. 😀
Paula | April 13, 2011 at 7:32 am |

Oh very cool! Good luck with your fight!
fallo | April 13, 2011 at 8:05 am |

Kentucky is lucky.
Rachel @ Dog Island Farm | April 13, 2011 at 12:35 pm |

Rock on! I’m glad we’ve got you covered!

I wanted to point something out. Kitty sent me what appears to be the new codes that will go into effect tomorrow. After reading them and the rest of Oakland Municipal Codes it appears that you will need a conditional use permit to do any agricultural activities. The city’s general description of crop and animal raising agricultural activities is: Crop and Animal Raising Agricultural Activities include the raising of tree, vine, field, forage, and other plant crops, intended to provide food or fibers, as well as keeping, grazing, or feeding of animals for animal products, animal increase, or value increase. There is no mention of selling so it’s easy to assume that to grow any food plants (yep, that means vegetable gardens and fruit trees) or raise any food animals in residential zones in Oakland regardless of whether it’s for personal use or for profit will require a CUP.

It’s important to look through your city’s codes. Now most people will say there’s no way for the city to enforce such silly laws, but as Novella has so kindly demonstrated, all it takes is one person who doesn’t like you to make a call to the city.
Emmy | April 13, 2011 at 2:10 pm |

Rachel: Do you have a link for this? Very concerning, if true!
47Ranch | April 13, 2011 at 3:18 pm |

Can you send the link? This is unbelievable. Literally squeezing blood out of a turnip.
Rachel @ Dog Island Farm | April 13, 2011 at 3:35 pm |

Here’s the current municipal code: http://www.municode.com/Library/clientCodePage.aspx?clientID=3637

Here are the changes that begin tomorrow: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak024393.pdf Do a search for “agricultural” and it will go through all the zones showing that it is a conditional use requiring a permit. The definition remains the same as that I show above.
Erin | April 13, 2011 at 4:01 pm |

Wooohooo! I think I can speak for everyone that contributed – we were happy to help (even if it was in a very small way). Keep fighting that fight.
Kitty Sharkey | April 13, 2011 at 4:26 pm |

Here is the information and the links to the updated zoning regs for RD – Residential Detatched (a house, rather than an apartment or office building)
______________________
http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=16490&stateId=5&stateName=California

Oakland Planning Code – Use Classifications
17.10.601 – Crop and animal raising agricultural activities
Crop and Animal Raising Agricultural Activities include the raising of tree, vine, field, forage, and other plant crops, intended to provide food or fibers, as well as keeping, grazing, or feeding of animals for animal products, animal increase, or value increase. This classification also includes certain activities accessory to the above, as specified in Section 17.10.040.
_____________________

Click to access oak027096.pdf

Oakland – Planning and Zoning
New Residential Zone Regulations for RD (residential detatched) effective 4/14/11
17.15.030 – Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Activities
– Agriculture and Extractive Activities
— Crop and animal raising – C(L6)

C – designates activities that are permitted only upon the granting of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)

L6 – Crop and Animal Raising is only permitted upon the granting of a Conditional Use Permit (see Chapter 17.134 for the CUP procedure). In addition to the criteria contained in Section 17.134.050, this activity must meet the following use permit criteria:
1. The proposal will not adversely affect the livability or appropriate development of abutting properties and the surrounding neighborhood in terms of noise, water and pesticide runoff, farming equipment operation, hours of operation, odor, security, and vehicular traffic;
2. Agricultural chemicals or pesticides will not impact abutting properties or the surrounding neighborhood; and
3. The soil used in growing does not contain any harmful contaminants and the activity will not create contaminated soil.
Rachel @ Dog Island Farm | April 14, 2011 at 7:25 am |

I tried posting the link but it’s awaiting moderation (probably the automatic spam filter because of the link). All the info is on Oakland’s Planning Department’s website. Do a search for “agricultural” and all the zoning requirements will be highlighted.
Jaclyn | April 14, 2011 at 8:32 am |

Thanks so much for visiting WKU last night. Your talk was really amazing, and I know it got the seeds growing in the minds of so some of the students. I’m definitely going to try my hand at farming some of my own food this year.
backyardfarmyard | April 14, 2011 at 9:12 am |

Wonderful news! People-power works!
Jenn | April 14, 2011 at 7:06 pm |

So glad to hear that people have come through, although too bad about those city codes. I’ve been looking in to mine recently, and I’m not impressed. Time for some change, I imagine.
Kathryn Porter | April 15, 2011 at 8:22 am |

Dear Novella: For 22 years I have owned and maintained a rather large farm/garden in West Oakland…many of those who work this garden/farm read your book with enthusiasm. We hope to help you in anyway we can. Please call on me and my fellow garden/farmers for political support when you need it. This issue is much larger than your lovely, small enterprise and I expect it will, if it has not already, take on a life of it’s own.
Keep up the good work and know that thousands of home gardeners/farmers will join you in this fight. It is a basic right to be able to grow your own fruits and vegetables.
A question: Are the non-profit farming endeavors so heavily supported by the City subject to the same regulatory impositions?
Let us know how we can help.
Kathryn Porter
TonyaLee | April 19, 2011 at 4:27 am |

Hi Novella–
So glad things are smoothing out some.
So right this is really larger than one urban farm, as I mentioned earlier Senate Bill S-510 carries that little part about not growing a garden, animals/poultry for food, or give any of said contriban away… g_d/ss forbid anyone sell it!
You have a great support group, and are getting some really awesome advice.
Here in MI we are preparing for another snow storm! So cold at 31 right now because it is so damp too!
Just put in 3 more fruit trees yesterday… hope they don’t go into hibernation!
This is maybe the most important year to put in a good garden, and save the seeds (may not be able to buy heirloom seeds next year, or may be way too pricey if they are permitted.
You remain in my prayers-
TonyaLee
Pamina | April 19, 2011 at 9:12 pm |

Congratulations on hitting the mark! Too bad the new laws make everyone need conditional use permits!!
Mary@northerncaliurbanfarm.blogspot.com | April 20, 2011 at 10:19 am |

Hope things are going smoothly. Looking forward to an update. Installed my first colony of bees into their hive box the other day, what an experience! Your book and blog helped give me the confidence and courage to do it, so thanks!