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News & ArtsMonday, May 11, 2009
City Fresh From the Litter Box
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:39 PM
You no longer have to pay the city to grow food on the parking strip in front of your house. Today, Mayor Greg Nickels killed a requirement for $225 permits to garden in raised beds in the city-owned land between the sidewalk and the street.
But how healthy is food grown in dog piss and car exhaust?
"Please note that the City of Seattle and SDOT are not responsible for the quality of food that is produced," says a handy brochure (.pdf) on the new rules from city's Department of Transportation. "Also, if you have any concerns about the quality of the soil, you may want to have your soil tested prior to planting edible foods." It adds: "It is important to wash all produce before consuming."
"When you say you are planting veggies in that strip, the common reaction is 'What about dogs?'" says mayor's office spokesman Alex Fryer. "But it hasn’t been a problem for me. I have peas growing in my right of way, and I don't really worry about it."
Now urban farmers need only a free permit, which are over here (click "apply now").
1
I have a tiny front yard and people let their dogs poop in it and don't pick it up. It's not even lawn, it's plants and veggies. I'm putting up a little fence, maybe a sign, and sitting on the porch with my shotgun.
2
When I lived in Ann Arbor my neighbors grew vegetables in their front yard, and I'd see dogs urinating on the tomatoes. As a dog owner, I'd NEVER let my dog pee on someone's tomatoes. Also as a dog owner, I'd never plant vegetables next to the sidewalk.
3
am i the only one who finds it hilarious that the spokesman chose to talk about planting peas when people brought up the question of dog piss? juvenile, i know, but i laughed my ass off!
4
I still think folks should take over the former cha cha site and make that into an enormous garden, dog pee or not.
5
I'd be less worried about dog piss, and more worried about oil and other toxic contaminants in the soil. Dog piss washes off. Carcinogens absorbed into the plant doesn't.
6
Re: the oil, you'd probably want to get some new topsoil in there first, but then just put 3' of chicken wire around the edges and I think you'd be in business.
8
If most of you urban farmers get anything from your attempts at growing edibles (yes you can eat a dandelion) it will be a red letter day, dog piss or no.
9
Why so skeptical, @8? I've been quite successful at growing edibles, and know lots of other urban peeps who are, too.
10
Soils around houses more than about 30 years old are also badly contaminated with lead, from all the old lead paint spilled or scraped or leached off over the decades. New soil is a must.
11
I got a dog for the first time over the winter and have noticed many deep green patches in my lawn that didn't use to exist. I credit dog piss for that.
That said, I keep the dog out of the veggie patch because she digs it up. That's probably a bigger concern if you're gardening by a sidewalk. Not to mention random passers-by who can do everything from tromping through your patch to puking in it.
That said, I keep the dog out of the veggie patch because she digs it up. That's probably a bigger concern if you're gardening by a sidewalk. Not to mention random passers-by who can do everything from tromping through your patch to puking in it.
12
Dog piss shouldn't be a big deal. Poo is a different story. I would never have let my dog poop on a raised bed. Or walk on delicate flowers to do either.
It can't be true that all dog owners are inconsiderate assholes. Can it?
It can't be true that all dog owners are inconsiderate assholes. Can it?
13
What about the stupid drunk pothead skate hippy motherfuckers who live next door. Those assholes drink pounders of Rainer from 8am on each day. They are constantly pissing on stuff... Fuckers. Fuckin hate those fuckers...
15
I love shit shrooms. Those are little mushrooms that grow in dog or cat (or bum wino) shit. Ill forage for them at dawns first light in the tall grass in my neighborhood.
Just sauté in a little butter, thyme and white wine... Magnifico!!!!
Just sauté in a little butter, thyme and white wine... Magnifico!!!!
16
Ummm...why is it that I have to have a permit (permission) from the City to grow a tomato but not to grow grass or flowers?
17
Litter box? That's a cat thing. Way more likely to find dog shit on a median than cat shit. Cats aren't going to shit out in the open (as much).
18
@16: Because it's on city property; the city can do pretty much whatever they want when they're permitting out acceptable uses of their property. It's in their interest to make it easy to grow grass or flowers there.
19
Well, good luck, potential urban farmers. I have a single rose bush in front of my house on Capitol Hill. It's lovely when it blooms, but come closing time on a weekend... that thing is practically picked clean by drunks.
20
@19 - The fuckwit schoolkids in my neighborhood just lopped the heads off of all my tulips. Didn't even bother to take them.
21
@ Dominic and @18: The City does not own the land between the sidewalk and the street. The homeowner does. The City does not even own the street. The City has the right to use that property, but the homeowner owns it. That's why if there are cracks in the sidewalk (or it's covered with ice or snow), it's the homeowner's responsibility.
As to the garden permit thing, some serious civil disobedience is in order here. Many people violate the City code by paving over that strip or planting all kinds of trees.
Let a thousand gardens bloom. (And wash your produce before consuming it.)
As to the garden permit thing, some serious civil disobedience is in order here. Many people violate the City code by paving over that strip or planting all kinds of trees.
Let a thousand gardens bloom. (And wash your produce before consuming it.)
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