People are hungry, economies everywhere are tanking. The answer to that problem used to be "do what you can on your own." In America, it was the now iconic Victory Gardens. In Montreal, Canada there is a move to defeat such self-reliance.

For some strange reason, helping yourself is the very last thing the governments in both the U.S. and Canada will "allow" you to do; not even on your own land. Stranger still, it is the lower-rung, local governments that show up in news stories extinguishing property rights in the name of almighty municipal code.

Josée Landry and partner Michel Beauchamp decided to start an urban garden for both economic and health reasons, and they even have documented its progress via their family blog since its beginning. They proudly gave their new passion a name - Rosa - in memory of civil rights icon, Rosa Parks, who refused to take her place as ordered by the tyrannical bureaucracy of the day.

This latest move in Canada follows a similar pattern; by enforcing an arbitrary code that front yard gardens (also called kitchen gardens) are only allowed, at the bare minimum, less than 30% vegetation. Who in Drummondville, Quebec would create such a code and why? Also, shouldn't other factors be considered: they own their home, they offer the food to the community without profit, it is aesthetic and has attracted worldwide media attention, as well as some celebrity garden bloggers. Not only does the city want most of the couple's garden uprooted and tossed, but they are seriously discussing outlawing all future front yard gardens!

The only stipulation being that old gardens can apparently stay as long as it meets the "under 30% of the yard" code. The couple was facing fines of between $100 and $300 per day if they did not comply by yesterday. According to CBCNews, "The couple said they had no intention of complying with the city's request."

Urban kitchen garden activist and blogger Roger Doiron got behind the fight and organized an impressive worldwide petition called Stop the War on Front Yard Vegetable Gardens. As of Sunday, they had 800 signatures, yesterday 8,000, and today almost 11,000 and counting. The couple's "bed-in" peaceful protest, Lennon-Ono style, also garnered much support and media attention.

By the way, Doiron is the one who apparently encouraged Michelle Obama to grow the Presidential garden. No sooner had he featured the Canadian garden on his site when they get slammed with threats of hundreds of dollars in fines if they didn't rip it out and replant grass. Do you think he wonders why the White House shows the world about gardening, and then municipalities everywhere start simultaneously cracking down on their residents?

What is wrong with these people?

Originally posted by frazzle
reply to post by jude11

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What is wrong with these people?

Ahem. They have an agenda. It came of age this year.

I can see it coming as well. This is getting absolutely ridiculous. We are being forced to eat what er are told, watch what they decide and take our meds like good little boys and girls.

Peace

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by jude11

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Its because monsanto can't have any competition, or nobody will by their crap.

I think the movie is called idiocracy? Brando its what plants need, now with electrolites! Lol, good times.

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by jude11

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Well it is quebec
I am allowed to poke fun at quebecers, my aunt and uncle are quebecers, and even they make fun of their province for crap like this. I throw my support behind them, and their awesome garden for sure. We all can't have acres of land in the country afterall.

And theres lots of ways they can bleed.....just cost them money....money to replace to rebuild to restart their crops etc etc