Photo by Aleigh Acerni
Bessie , the miniature LaMancha goat that Dr. Laura Hershey is hope to bring place .
“ I would rather live next door to a caprine animal than a Rottweiler , ” says San Diego , Calif. resident Dr. Laura Hershey . “ caprine animal make peachy neighbors . ”
This comparison — between a sometimes - aggressive breed of hotdog that ’s welcome in Hershey ’s city and the docile gnome goats that are forbidden — is one she ’s used many times to help illustrate what she look as an unfair forbidding on goats in her urban center . And she ’s not alone . Hershey is among a growing mathematical group of diverse residents who , for the past several months , have been making known their desire to become urban farmers through emails to local representatives , in online forums and at public meetings across the city .
The ban on goats is just one of the trouble would - be urban farmers have with the city ’s current laws , however . One ruler , requiring urban farmers to keep their chickens 50 animal foot from any residence , is practically unimaginable to obey ; most lot in San Diego simply are n’t prominent enough to abide by . There are also rules against keep bee , as well as regularisation that make it a logistical challenge and a financial hardship to host a farmers market or daily farm stand on secret property .
But a fresh proposed urban - agriculture ordinance just might set aside Hershey to bestow home the miniatureLaManchagoat , Bessie , she presently has on modesty . “ I had miniaturegoatsfor five class , and I ’m really wait forwards to having them again , ” she articulate . “ They ’re great companion animals , and I also make cheeseflower [ from their Milk River ] . ”
The new rules come along to be a work - in - progress , which should n’t come as a surprise to many San Diego occupier ; they ’ve already been a retentive - clip fall . For the past few years , the city was embroiled in a battle to change local laws to grant for the creation of New Roots Community Garden , a 2.3 - Akko , multicultural residential district garden . The integral process took two years , a reported $ 40,000 , and severe work from resident and several local , regional and home organizations . Yes , it was a success . But in some horse sense , it was also a failure : It revealed that San Diego had more urban - agriculture issues to deal with than simply the power to createcommunity garden , which local would - be urban James Leonard Farmer did n’t waste any time pointing that out .
“ [ New Roots Community Garden ] had just been completed adjacent to my district , ” says City Councilmember Todd Gloria , who supports the Modern ordinances , although he is not an urban Fannie Farmer himself . “ In the midst of build the community living for it , other exit started to come forrader , specifically about urban agriculture . ”
To Gloria , make San Diego more urban - farmer - friendly is about more than just chickens and bee . It ’s about sustainability , affordability and respectable eating . It ’s about building a various and welcome community . It ’s about joining the rank and file of other urban center that have already tackle this issue — notably San Francisco , Chicago and Seattle . And it just realise good sense . “ Really what we ’re attempt to do is tie this together in a much larger urban - agriculture initiative , ” he say . “ We ’re excited about it . We know that other community are already doing this . We want to capture up , and we want to be leaders on this . ”
If the new rules pass ( they ’re expected to bring down in front of City Council again in January , 2012 ) , unmarried - kinsperson plate will be allowed to have five chickens — no roosters — 15 foot from their homes . They can keep morechickensif they maintain a 50 - foot blow . apiarist will be able maintain twohives , up from one hive in the first draft of the ordinance .
It ’s not looking salutary for Hershey and Bessie , however . San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Public Health Services has requested the removal of the linguistic rule permit miniature goats out of awe that host urban goats will precede to an increase in naked - Milk River consumption . According to Gloria , the request has been accepted , and goats have been take away from the most late potation .
“ One piece of the regulation that is n’t move forth right now is the goats , ” articulate Gloria . “ County wellness services have raised some red flags regarding the Milk River . In my mind , it ’s not a dead issue … This will evolve and change over time . We will , I ’m sure , come back and pluck it up again . The local advocates have really been phenomenal with us . ”
Even if she ca n’t get Bessie home just yet , Hershey will be ( mostly ) pleased with the raw laws ; although , she ’ll keep to urge for her goat companions . “ It ’ll still be better than it was , ” she say . “ It ’s going to exchange our life a lot . ”
