Tuesday, April 26, 2011

farms in Oakland?

An interesting tableau spotted at Ghost Town Farm, an urban farm in West Oakland.  This half acre or so is located on a decidedly urban corner in a sketchy neighborhood.  The owner is recognized as a leading voice in the national urban farm movement.  She grows vegetables, raises goats and bees, and occasionally has a pop-up market where she sells surplus veggies.  And now she's the center of a surprise controversy related to some obscure and ambiguous regulation about farming within the city limits.  How dispiriting.
Posted by Oakland Daily Photo at 9:48 PM
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11 comments:

  1. John @ Beans and I on the LooseApril 25, 2011 at 10:21 PM

    "Sketchy neighborhood" I like that. I like this photo too. A shame though about the controversy. Someone doing something good and a whole lot of people insist on mucking it up with rules and regulations!

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  2. JackApril 26, 2011 at 2:59 AM

    I think people in Oakland will paint a mural on anything!

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  3. VirginiaApril 26, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    Oh yeah, the world will be a better place if would could just run off those urban farmers! Good grief. I hope she wins.
    V

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  4. JanieApril 26, 2011 at 11:08 AM

    This is definitely MY KIND OF ART!
    What an incredible photograph.
    I am so jealous, would of loved to have seen this one.
    Would never imagine this to be in Oakland.

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  5. BirdmanApril 26, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    Love those painted doors.

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  6. CRApril 27, 2011 at 5:05 AM

    Amazing details you encounter frequently. Are you a magician?

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  7. Louis la VacheApril 27, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    Car buff «Louis»: The car doors are from a Mercedes-Benz.

    Small government «Louis»: Yet another example of the truth of P.J. O'Rourke's maxim: "Giving power and money to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

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  8. BarbApril 27, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    Sounds like that law needs to be changed!

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  9. AnonymousApril 27, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    Planning Policy MCXIX

    There shall be no trees, flowers or vegetation of any kind within a 100 square mile radius of our beloved concrete jungle.

    Anyone found guilty of contravening this regulation will be subject to a fine of XXXX and/or imprisonment.

    :-)

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  10. UnknownMay 4, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    This is a great find!

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  11. KatyMay 16, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    Interesting spin. Ghost Town Farms is under investigation for slaughtering animals and selling uninspected animal products, activities which are illegal in the City of Oakland, Alameda County, and federally.

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