Portland observer., September 14, 2011, Page 23, Image 23

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September 14, 2011
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Page 23
Residential
Farming
continued
fro m page 13
family zones.
The new rules would allow such
gardens by right in residential zones
on plots up to 5,000 square feet.
“W e’re getting some push back
that that’s too small,” Gisler said.
A major issue is whether growers
should be allowed to sell the pro­
duce on-site in residential neigh­
borhoods. Com mission member
Karen Fischer-Gray echoed those
concerns.
“I’m not sure how I’d feel if some­
one was proposing to sell food
across from my house,” she said.
Community gardens allow veg­
etable growers to rent garden plots.
Many are operated by the Portland
Bureau of Parks and Recreation, but
there are independent ventures such
as the Urban League’s Urban Har­
vest Garden.
“Different types of gardens are
cropping up,” planner Steven Cohen
said.
Commission member Howard
Shapiro said marketing produce from
local garden plots have “a real con­
nection to 20 minute neighbor­
hoods,” an ideal whereby people
can reach most basic needs and
services with a 20 minute walk from
home. “This is less about food and
more about the social experience”
of interacting with other gardeners,
he said.
There are currently no code regu­
lations that specifically address the
selling of produce from community
gardens. Also not addressed di­
rectly, are farmers markets. Currently
institutions such as churches or
schools must undergo a land use
process to host a farmers market.
Gisler and other staff questioned
whether the size of a market should
be a factor in the regulations, and
whether there should be a limit on
what is sold. Currently, Gisler said,
“Markets do a good job of policing
themselves” to ensure that only the
grower, or his or her agent can sell
at the market.
Commission member Michelle
Rudd asked, to what extent should
food products such as bread or jam
be sold, or whether the selling of
crafts should be allowed. Commis-
photos by L ee
P erlman /T he P ortland O bserver
A backyard chicken coop is a growing source o f food for more and more area residents.
sion chair Andre Baugh asked about
curbside food stands.
Food buying clubs buy produce
or other food products in bulk, then
distribute them to members, result-
ing in cost savings and, often, bet-
ter quality. The act of distributing
the food has sometimes generated
complaints from neighbors. In some
cases, buying clubs have been
forced out of existence. Once again,
this activity is not directly addressed
in city regulations.
Currently any combination of
three pigmy goats, chickens, ducks
or rabbits are allowed by right in
residential zones. Any number of
■■■■■■■■■■■■i
livestock beyond three requires a
conditional use permit, as does any
number of horses, cows, turkeys,
geese, burros or sheep.
To have a bee hive on a resi-
dential property, an ow ner must
obtain written perm ission from
every neighbor within 150 feet o f
the property. Advocates o f urban
agriculture have argued that these
lim its, especially the one on bees,
are too restrictive. City officials
say some grow ers are frustrated
that one neighbor could have a
veto power over what others think
is a good idea. But on the other
hand, if y o u ’re allergic to bee
stings, you may want some con-
trol over what happens next door
to you.
Commission member GaiyOxman
commented, “Over and over I heard,
‘There are no regulations for this.’
Is that bad? Are there problems? As
a career bureaucrat I get nervous
about locking in on the regulatoiy
path.”
Planner Jessica Richman replied
that some of these farming activities
have the potential to increase auto
traffic in residential areas, often a
source of complaints. “We want to,
for once, get ahead of that toad of
complaints,” she said.
Cully to Celebrate Fresh and Healthy Foods
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 13
thing that I think community mem­
bers are facing in the Cully neigh­
borhood.”
The event will give Slow Food an
opportunity to work with commu­
nity members and organizations to
meet some of those challenges, said
Peden.
Slow Food is in many ways the
opposite of what we have more ac­
cess to now in terms of fast food,
she said, including highly-pro-
cessed foods, food with a lot of
additives, fat, and sodium, and food
that doesn’t resemble what it was
like when it came out of the ground.
She said everything wrapped up
in the processed food world often
seems to be much more a part of our
reality than fresh whole foods.
“Food is really important to our
lives, and food should be respected
for how it is grown and the people
who grow should it be respected,”
she said. “The work and promotion
of Slow Foods is a way to say, let’s
take a step back from where our food
system is headed and envision a
food system that does provide
healthy food for people and sup­
port for workers and farmers on the
ground.”
According to Peden, Portland’s
Slow Food chapter has been an ac­
tive volunteer-run organization that
is one of the oldest in the country.
“The chapter has been really active
for a long time,” she said. “But the
event in the Cully neighborhood is
a really exciting move for us, be­
cause we want to become involved
directly with communities in Port­
land.”
Whether it’s building more gar­
dens, helping the ones that already
exist, fundraising support or orga­
nizing around policy and institu­
tional changes, we want to be di­
rected by the neighborhood with
their ideas for change, said Peden.
“People who live in the neighbor­
hood have a much better idea of
what needs to be changed, ideas for
change and how it should be ad­
dressed.”
Peden said their chapter has
been working with a num ber of
individuals and "organizations,
in c lu d in g T r in ity L u th e ra n
Church, elem entary schools and
m arkets within the Cully com m u­
nity in an attem pt to hold an event
truly catered towards what the
neighborhood wants. “We have
been trying to involve the com ­
munity in planning,” she said.
C hildren’s activities and day
care will also be part of the pot­
luck on Saturday, and food will be
provided. Peden said, however,
individuals are encouraged to
bring food to share, and no contri­
bution is too small.
“Slow Food is an organization
with a mission and vision for a
world where everyone has access
to food that is good for them ,”
said Peden. “We really wanted
the potluck to be a way to connect
with organizations and the neigh­
b orhood, and we tho u g h t the
Cully Neighborhood would be a
great place to start.”
Everyone is invited to the free
family potluck event, which will be
held from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the
Trinity Lutheran Church, located at
5520N.E. Killingsworth St.
Joyce W ashington
B orn: 1937 - 1996
Joyce Washington Believed in this Community
and all those that made this Community Great.
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