Tomorrow the Minneapolis City Council will consider provisions around urban farming and community gardens. The language overall seems to be quite good, but Council Member Meg Tuthill has proposed several amendments that are misguided at best and would be harmful to north Minneapolis.
1. Hoop houses, like the one pictured above, would be limited to a maximum height of six feet. That's simply not large enough for most people to work in. The hoop house pictured above, at the St. Olaf community garden in Jordan, is about seven feet tall. Presumably, the six-foot limit is proposed because people are worried that the structures might be unsightly. I've seen a few hoop houses pop up over north, and not once have I heard anyone complain about their appearance. Conversations about them tend to go like this:
"What's that?"
"A hoop house."
"What does it do?"
"It extends the growing season so that more fruits and vegetables can be harvested from the garden."
"Oh, cool!"
Sometimes the comment of approval is followed by "How do I get one?" Never have I heard anyone ask, "Well, can it be shorter?"
While a six-foot hoop house would be conveniently hidden from the tender eyes of southwesternites who don't want to see anything beyond their fences, the language would render hoop houses essentially unworkable and useless to the northsiders who are looking for ways to maximize the use of our land. Tuthill's amendment needs to be voted down.
The second amendment would limit...
