Is Urban Farming in Dallas an Excuse for Unkempt Properties and Zika Virus Breeding Pools?

Now that we can have urban gardens and ponds in every back yard in Dallas comes word that Dallas is one of 27 U.S. cities selected for a federal program (in other words, $$$) that uses food to help build economically stronger communities. Wait, let me absorb this like the grease on a pizza:

Called “Local Foods, Local Places,” the program was announced Monday (January 25) and is a partnership between USDA and five additional agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation.

The federal initiative, now in its third year, “helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food,” according to a joint release from the agencies.

What exactly are we getting from this federal initiative? Well we, along with 300 other city applicants, “will receive technical assistance to create a local food branding campaign and establish a network among gardening and farming enthusiasts to “build public awareness, community cohesion, and relationships between growers and local businesses, and help community gardens share expertise and increase the size and variety of their yields,” the release said.”

Oh, it was a press release sent to the media. But you’ve lost me here. What does this have to do with childhood obesity?

A “letter of interest” submitted as part of the city’s application focuses on issues such as childhood obesity and access to healthy foods, particularly in southern Dallas.

“For more than a decade, there has been a national effort to address childhood nutrition and obesity, along with addressing the prevalence of food deserts in urban centers,” the letter said. “Dallas’s southern sector struggles with these issues with the addition of neighborhood blight. Community gardens are one significant way in which to address these issues

“There has been a groundswell of interest in Dallas for urban gardens, urban farms, and aquaponics as the potential resolve for community revitalization,” the letter said.

This is what sometimes drives me to Xanax about our government. They think they can revitalize neighborhoods and with aquaponics when people living in those neighborhoods think aquaponics is probably a music group.

Wait, it gets better:

“The first step may be in building a directory of urban gardens, urban farms, and neighborhood markets along with a contact list of local growers,” the letter said. “Because there are varying levels of expertise in the many components related to locally grown foods, it is crucial that a local council, association, assembly, or congress for mutual support and be formalized.”

I’m sorry, that last sentence was incomprehensible. Thank God for East Dallas resident Jackie Staley, who drew this to my attention. See her neighbor’s yard?

First of all, BS Meter on high alert: childhood obesity comes because we eat crap food and parents feed their children crap food. Crap food is cheap, fast and easy. Then children don’t move their little bodies to metabolize the crap food. Just learned that until now, DISD didn’t even have recess!

But I get what they are saying: if you could grow healthy food in the backyard, you might pick it and cook it and kids would consume more healthy veggies. I will wager to bet most of these households have two parents who work, meaning, bluntly, who the hell has time to do this? I mean, tomatoes and zucchini, yes, but fish? And what about aquaculture and hydroponic systems attracting mosquitos carrying West Nile and Zika, now a world threat to health?

This comes about because of City Council approved amendments to the Community Garden ordinances last spring, i.e. the Cornstalk Debate, to allow Dallas gardeners to sell what they grow and expand the variety of farm products that can be raised in their yards.

Gardening groups had complained that existing restrictions on the sale of fresh-grown produce are limiting the choices available to many consumers, especially in poorer areas where grocery stores are few and far between. The changes will allow produce sales off site if a garden is in a residential area or on site if it’s in a commercial area. They allow gardeners to keep chickens and fish, and they outline how tall raised gardening beds can be without counting as additional structures on the property.

Jackie Staley has found some flaws in what City Hall did. She thinks, as a few Council members did at time of discussion, that the way this ordinance is written, it will give some carte blanche to messy, unsightly yards and shacks, such as her neighbor’s. Or my neighbor’s. And who is going to monitor the quality of the water so these systems don’t end up looking like Vonceil Hill’s swimming pool?

“Under this ordinance (passed by City Council on March 25, 2015), structures are now allowed to be built on vacant lots which was never previously allowed.  These must be under 200 square feet, which takes them out of anything having building department oversight.  There is no limit to the number of structures which now can be up to halfway up the lot instead of in the rear.” says Jackie. ” The only stipulation being they must be on no more than 10% of lot coverage, which on an average city lot of 50 x 150 is 750 square feet and none are larger than 200 square feet.  There is no limit  as long as they meet these requirements.  There is also no requirements as to appearance.  All of these would be considered primary structures.  How can more than one structure be primary?”

This ordinance, says Jackie, negates any possibility of enforcement on illegal storage, dumping and having to keep a vacant lot cleaned and mowed which is the present City ordinance.  All you have to do is obtain a Certificate of Occupancy for an Urban garden and grow weeds, ( i.e. native Texas plants).  No more mowing.

She also thinks the water gardening and fish raising is highly problematic considering our bouts with West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika mosquito- borne viruses. (Zika!) According to the City, these systems would be monitored  by the farmers.  (Farmers?) But who is watching the watchers??

“As to the grazing and raising of chickens, the City says there is no limit to the number of chickens on a lot, but they must be kept in a sanitary condition,” says Jackie.

What is the definition of sanitary condition and again, who is going to be out checking up on that?

“Not only does this prevent existing code from being enforced, it lends itself to the possibility of major abuse,” says Jackie.

Last week, she met with Assistant City manager Joey Zapata, who told her that mosquitoes breed in standing water, and the aquaponic/hydroponic systems consistently move water over the plants, and the fish eat any mosquito larvae introduced into the system. True, but what if the pumps stops working? I have seen some pretty nasty Koi ponds. Also, he told her that these systems will be closely monitored by the farmers for infestation. Farmers?

No kidding. I’m still smarting from paying my taxes. When Jackie asked if vacant lots with knee-high grasses can be classified as urban gardens, Zapata told her an owner must obtain a CO (Certificate of Occupancy) for the Urban Garden prior to development of the land.

So, yes.

We all need to contact our City Council peeps and re-draft this ordinance. And ask how much money Dallas is getting to boost this project from the Feds. Honestly.