The dream was to live off our land. In 2003 I decided to put our ½-acre garden to work and become a market farmer growing organic cut flowers in our backyard in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The goal was to sell my flowers seasonally at local farmers’ markets on the Eastside. It’s hard to find organic, local flowers. Most of them are flown in from abroad and/or covered in pesticides.
Over the years I added herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and vines as well as organic loofah sponges and cotton. In 2008, a lady living nearby invited me to grow on her estate. With a second growing ground, Silver Lake Farms slowly started taking shape. The dream seemed possible…
I grow everything naturally and by hand. Our beautiful loamy soil needs no more digging. I use cover crops, rotation, homemade compost, teas and locally sourced manures and mulch to keep soil biologically fertile. I take a “whole” approach to growing, keeping things balanced with natural habitats and companion plants so nature can do its thing. No need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
My husband, Beat, takes care of engineering and design, drip systems and rainwater harvesting. He figures out all the technical stuff and makes it “Tara-proof.” He cooks and builds; I grow and teach (see Workshops above). We design and install vegetable gardens and create productive mini homesteads for clients. We also donate time for great causes in our community.
In 2009, something incredible happened. After telling me it was legal, and after six years at market, LA City’s Department of Building & Safety ordered me to stop selling my flowers or pay a fine/serve six months in jail. They said selling homegrown flowers is illegal after all because it's not considered "Truck Gardening."
Truck Gardening is allowed in LA City residential zones but City Planning’s codebook manual doesn’t have any information on what Truck Gardening is. Officials consulted Webster’s Dictionary for a definition of the term. Because Webster’s definition of Truck Gardening only mentions vegetables, City Planning interpreted this to mean that it’s illegal to sell anything grown in residential gardens unless it’s a vegetable. Fruit, flowers, seedlings? Not allowed! Too bad that broccoli’s a flower...
Okay… so now I’m a vegetable farmer! To keep the dream alive, I partnered with another local farmer and launched a CSA. Read about my transition from flowers to vegetable farming in the Farm Blog section of this site. CSA-ers, this blog is for you, too!
If you are interested in becoming a CSA shareholder, email me at info@silverlakefarms.com or call 323-644-3700. Membership is limited and pick-ups are Eastside only, for now.
Meanwhile, supporters, friends and fellow urban farmers formed Urban Farming Advocates (UFA) LA to do something about updating City Planning’s codebook. It was originally written in 1946. UFA’s goal is to legitimize urban farming in the City of L.A. We think urban agriculture is the right way to go. If you agree, and would like to participate in changing the law, please click here: urbanfarmingadvocates.org.
Because Silver Lake Farms is in residential zones, we do not publish our address on this site.
Thank you to all my loyal customers, who loved my flowers so much, and to all my wonderful friends for your love and support. Please visit urbanfarmingadvocates.org and help me change the law!
Hope I see you soon!
Tara
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