USDA Shuts Down 4-Year-Old's Garden

Just when you think the front-yard garden wars can't get worse, enter USDA's rural development dictatorship domineering the food source of the most vulnerable of our society.

In a South Dakota subsidized housing unit live four-year-old Rosie and her severely disabled mother, Mary. They survive on an incredible $658 fixed disability stipend. A tiny unused space just outside their back door seemed like a good place to grow some veggies to supplement their food source.

The garden was mostly tended by Rosie starting this past May.

[Always BEFORE harvest] The garden was ordered by property management to be completely removed...this week. Where are the orders really coming from?

Why, from the USDA's Rural Development Agency, of course, who set up the rules for property managers to ban "structures" of any kind within their landscapes. Property management is strictly upholding this policy.

www.naturalblaze.com...
This is another example of the oppressive actions taken by a United States agency. What harm was her little garden doing?
Do you believe that this is all part of the UN Agenda 21 resolution?

subsidized housing unit
ordered by property management

reply to post by ProfEmeritus


It seems like we should be rewarding people who supplement their diet with fresh vegetables.

A fixed income of a few hundred dollars is not enough for anyone to survive on with today's prices.

Just wow.

reply to post by ProfEmeritus


The property manager shut it down, not the USDA.

Your title is incorrect and a bit dramatic.

As unfortunate as this is, it has been the rule for as long as i can remember that there are no alterations allowed to the outdoor visual landscape of subsidized housing. Not even a wind chime.

Government house, government rules.
Don't like the rules, don't get a government house.

Question.--What the hell does a government need with a house anyway

Exceedingly unfortunate, to say the least. Maybe they can plant some things in pails and bring them in and out. I don't get it, to be honest. Sometimes you have to outsmart the "powers that be."

Originally posted by queenofsheba
Exceedingly unfortunate, to say the least. Maybe they can plant some things in pails and bring them in and out. I don't get it, to be honest. Sometimes you have to outsmart the "powers that be."

No the rules need to be changed! Low income housing if they have room should have community gardens installed!

nevermind

I don't see an issue here. The apartment I rent has a tiny 6x6 front with shrubbery and grass in front but nothing but grass in back but in the lease all pets, gardens, outdoor plants of any kind are against the apt complex rules. I do how some parsley as an indoor plant hanging in my kitchen. But we aren't allowed to put anything in the ground.

What really annoys me is I'm a ham radio enthusiast and I'm not allowed to put up an antenna, but them's the rules when you rent...


If you don't like the lease rules then move or abide.

nevermind

reply to post by ProfEmeritus


they should offer half the next harvest to the biggest & baddest of their neighbors
to swing a homer with an aluminum bat next time the veggie thieves come round
or maybe a brick or 2 will come loose from the roof and land on their heads
what with the crumbling state of gov housing

when I was a child growing up in Harlem in the 70's that kind of thing was a very common occurrence
especially when the cops would come around for a slave raid

The property manager shut it down, not the USDA. Your title is incorrect and a bit dramatic.

reply to post by AlienScience

It is NOT MY title. It was the title of the news article, which, BY ATS POSTING RULES, must be copied exactly. The property management, by the way, although not a government agency, is authorized by the government.

For those that see nothing wrong with that, I suggest that you consider the fact that this little girl and her disabled mother don't have much choice. In addition, on a human interest side, what harm is her small garden doing? Furthermore, when 11,000,000 illegal aliens are in this country, and the government basically does nothing about it, WHY do you think they should allow this to go on?
No need to answer the question. I know the answer. This little 4 year old is not old enough to vote.

Originally posted by Cito
I don't see an issue here. The apartment I rent has a tiny 6x6 front with shrubbery and grass in front but nothing but grass in back but in the lease all pets, gardens, outdoor plants of any kind are against the apt complex rules. I do how some parsley as an indoor plant hanging in my kitchen. But we aren't allowed to put anything in the ground.

What really annoys me is I'm a ham radio enthusiast and I'm not allowed to put up an antenna, but them's the rules when you rent...


If you don't like the lease rules then move or abide.

The issue is compassion and reasonableness!

It is shear stupidity to have hungry children who can and are willing to care for fresh vegetables not to use the empty ugly space as your back grass area. we are cold an unfeeling in this country and stupid to it seems as a garden is beautiful not unsightly! The only issue i can see at all is if the water is paid for by the building and it is a large garden.
we have money taken from our electric bill automatically every month for power for the poor, and these are people doing nothing to help themselves they just get the break on their bill paid for by others, now why not finance those who are willing to work for it and care for a food crop on a unused piece of land.

Sounds to me they cant tax you for it...........

The issue is compassion and reasonableness! It is shear stupidity to have hungry children who can and are willing to care for fresh vegetables not to use the empty ugly space as your back grass area. we are cold an unfeeling in this country and stupid to it seems as a garden is beautiful not unsightly!

reply to post by Char-Lee

I'm glad that someone has compassion. I can't believe some of the responses here. Furthermore, just because the government makes rules, does not make it right, and doesn't mean that we can't try to CHANGE the rules. After all, the government gives billions in aid to terrorist groups that poison thousands of children in Syria with poison gas, and yet they won't let a 4-year old girl try to feed her crippled mother and her. I can't believe people don't have a problem with this.
People yell about NSA spying on them, and rightly so, but their answer to this situation is "If they don't like it, they can leave". (Maybe they can't). Shame on the government, the property management, and those that have no compassion for this little girl and her mother.