A Georgia man is headed to court over how many vegetables he can grow on his land. Code enforcement says until recently, the farmer had too many vegetable plants for his property in Clarkston, just outside Atlanta.Steve Miller's profession is landscaping, but his passion is growing organic vegetables. That passion landed the Clarkston man in court. Before he rezoned the land two months ago, DeKalb County Code Enforcement cited him for illegal growing crops and using unpermitted workers."I never realized this could get me in trouble," Miller said. "In fact, it was a shock when I was told I couldn't have this many vegetables."Miller says he sells some of the food at area farmers markets and gives some away to friends. When he applied for rezoning, his attorney says the county put the charges on hold but are now seeking $5,000 in fines."How are they protecting the public, health and welfare of the citizens of DeKalb County by prosecuting this man on previous offenses that are now no longer offenses," said attorney Doug Dillard.Alice Rolls, executive director of Georgia Organics, predicts more cases like this as vegetable gardens make a comeback."As agriculture comes back into urban areas we are dealing with old laws on the books," she said.Miller says he'll likely spend more than $27,000 on the zoning fight, admitting that's a lot of money to grow greens."I'm amazed they are still coming after me," he said.A spokesperson for DeKalb County says officials can't discuss the matter because it is in court.http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13146141
>GeorgiaAnd here I thought the South was supposed to be the bastion of individual freedoms and liberty. How come the most absurd zoning laws seem to originate from there??
>>254705 >South was supposed to be the bastion of individual freedoms and libertylol
>>254708Slaves were farm animals, not human beings.>>254705Mostly it has to do with keeping negros and negroid behavior out of white areas. And of course strict clamping down on immoral acts.
>>254761So having a backyard garden is an immoral act now?You Southerners are really strict about your lawns, aren't you.
>>254895Since when is the USDA run by Southerners?
>>254930What does the USDA have to do with any of this?
>>254947Who do you think sets the regulation on how much you can grow in a backyard garden before it turns into a "commercial farm" ?
>>255056There are no limits on the amount of food you can grow, as far as US law is concerned. The problem lies in distribution. If you're selling or giving away food then the USDA/FDA has jurisdiction.