Ep. 1370 Winning The Fight for the Right to Garden

Michael Olson hosts Nicole Virgil, Gardener and Practitioner of Christian Science, for a conversation about winning the right to garden. Topics include how municipal governments prohibit residents from establishing gardens in their yards, why Nicole Virgil refused to accept that prohibition; and how Nicole’s fight for the right to garden resulted in Illinois becoming the second state in the U.S. to guarantee residents the right to garden.   One thing we learned from the Covid years is that our food chain has some very weak links, and that is a cause for concern for all of us who eat food for a living. Consequent to that concern, many of the hungry have turned to growing their own food.  Only a very few can grow all of their own food, but many can grow some of their own food in a garden. Those who do garden enjoy the physical benefits of eating food they have grown, but also the spiritual benefits of growing the food. But wait!  What if City Hall prohibits the growing of food within its City limits?  Sounds perfectly crazy, don’t you think.  Not so, say most cities.  In fact, only six states in the United States have passed legislation guaranteeing citizens the right to garden within the limits of cities. Florida was the first state to grant such a right in 2019.  Illinois became the second state in 2021.  Those that won the right to garden in the city, lead us to ask… How can one fight City Hall and win? Contact:  www.metrofarm.com Radio Host:  www.santacruzvoice.com