V-Day for the Food & Flowers Freedom Act!

Pic: left to right: Erik Knutzen, Homegrown Evolution, UFA; Laura Garcia, CSA shareholder/Beachwood Canyon; Jed Lind, artist and CSA vollie; Shelley Marks, UFA & SLF recipe blogger; Bella Allen, CSA shareholder/Beachwood Canyon; Bruce Chan CSA shareholder/Silverlake; Jeremy Drake, musician, UFA; Molly Morrison, SLF vollie; Matthew (he found us on Facebook); Emmanuelle Bernard, CSA shareholder/Beachwood Canyon; Tara Kolla, SLF, UFA; Elizabeth Curbo, SLF vollie; Tamar Halpern, CSA shareholder/Silverlake; Kirsty Hume, super duper supermodel; Beat Frutiger, my amazing husband.

I am on cloud nine today after a resounding victory at yesterday's Planning Commission hearing for the Food & Flowers Freedom Act.

Commissioners voted across the board to adopt the clarifications proposed by City Planning. Yesterday's victory puts urban farmers in LA City on track to legally sell homegrown fruit, seedlings, nuts and flowers off-site, at local farmers' markets for example.

We still have a few stages to go (PLUM, City Council and Mayor's sign-off) but yesterday was a big day for urban farming and the local movement. Bill Roschen, head of the Planning Commission, called it "a happy day." Oh my, was as it ever!

Thirty + supporters came to the hearing! That was some show of people power! Pictured above are some of the supporters who came.

Thank you to everyone who came to the hearing, and to every single one of you who sent good vibes and letters of support. Not everyone had the chance to speak yesterday but your show of hands, your presence, was critical, so thank you for coming! Supporters who spoke in favor of the Food & Flowers Freedom Act moved the panel of commissioners, and their joyful enthusiasm, in turn, moved the audience. Yes, I cried. I couldn't help it.

LA's urban farming movement owes a great deal to Shelley Marks, our very own cooking consultant, cooking class teacher and recipe blogger. Shelley heads up Urban Farming Advocates (UFA), and our success yesterday is largely due to her hard work, energy and the way she organized us. Big hugs and kudos for Shelley!

Big thanks also to Glen Dake from the LA Community Garden Council. Also a UFA member, Glen played an important role in leading us to success yesterday. And to the rest of the UFA team for all their hard work: Dave Keitel, Erik Knutzen (is that avocado ripe yet?!!) Jeremy Drake and Lora Hall.

Thanks to the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council for supporting the Food & Flowers Freedom Act.

Thanks to all the City Planning Commissioners, City Planning staff and Building & Safety for working on this issue.

Of course, we couldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for City Council President Eric Garcetti and his team. He made it happen. He delivered. Go Eric! You rock man! Yesterday was a turning point for urban farming Angelenos thanks to you!

with love, gratitude and the joy of blooms to come,

Tara