The person who recently sent a complaint to the City about our farm stand lives in.... Eldorado!
That's exactly 18.4 mi from the farm!
Her name is Dr. Deborah Watkin, she's the anonymous (not anymore!) blogger Deborah who left the following comment on our website:
"Gee, I wanna drive my BMW 100 miles an hour, darn I can't well maybe I'll just do it anyway and in the meanwhile see if I can schmooz the police to let me whizz by.... ever think regulatory mechanisms empower people to excell. Your business model would be perfect for a third world country, busloads of school kids, no nagging neighbors, no regulations on inspections to ensure your produce is safe... Thailand perhaps, I saw a cheap one way ticket, the donators would get over it... bye bye bozo." See her comments here
She is most likely an acquaintance of our immediate neighbor who's regularly been using proxies to wage her war on the farm and our water rights since 2013.
Dct. Watkin called the City numerous times, including the City Attorney's office, and threatened litigation against the City if the farm wasn't shut down.
Her accusations:
1) We are operating the farm without a business license
True. We applied for one in 2013 but it was denied on the grounds that there were building violations on the property (having nothing to do with the farm). The City has let us operate the farm since then.
2) We are illegally using domestic water from a well
False. On Jan. 16, 2014 the Office of the State Engineer granted us 1.05 acre-feet of irrigation water rights. The transfer of these water rights is currently being protested by the same neighbor who has tortured us to death for the past 3 years! While the Office of the State Engineer is conducting formal hearings on the protest, the use of water for irrigation from our domestic well is legal.
3) We are squatting on a property that's in foreclosure
False. The farm leases one acre of the property for its operation. We have worked with multiple lawyers over the last few years to see what the farm could do regarding the foreclosure, but as a tenant, we have been limited by the property owner’s actions and desires because he’s the party responsible for the foreclosure. Last year, we formed a community land trust and raised money to attempt to buy the property out of foreclosure, way more than a tenant would normally do.
4) We are building structures without proper permits
False. The only structure that was built (hoop houses do not require permits) is the garden structure that we had permitted in 2013 and later used for our short-lived farm stand! A previous shed structure built by another tenant without proper permits was torn down in 2013 upon request by the City.
We are in a position of financial and
social power, and we could be agents of change in our society. Without
pretension, I believe we could be a nice little gardener who takes care
of the garden, and hopefully our neighbor will do the same. Then, maybe
we'll achieve a better world - Guy Laliberte
I am grateful for the clarifications regarding the various situations at Gaia Gardens. I've been trying to follow and comprehend the dynamics involved here, especially since I've been active and interested in community/urban farmshed movements in the U.S. The Gaia Gardens situation is interesting and unique and needs to be known and understood by other urban community food stability groups who are working on securing this type of infrastructure. The Santa Fe obstacles are ones that other urban groups are likely to encounter when they don't have the support of city politicians.
ReplyDeleteGranted, there are many successful groups of urban food producers in the U.S. who are excellent models for building sustainable infrastructure. For whatever reasons, Santa Fe has decided to remain unresponsive and negligent with building this support for their community. Gaia Gardens appears to be using this opportunity to show ways to navigate these obstacles. Maybe Santa Fe, "A City" Different," will prove to the world that they are a "City Stagnant."
I recently relocated to a wonderful city in British Columbia. There are Farmers Markets seven days a week. Before I unpacked any moving boxes, I was already happily laboring at the local Farm Ship Cooperative farm. Here, there is a vibrant community of people who understand the importance of not depending on food resources carried by ferry to feed the population. Here, on Vancouver Island, there are hard working people who work with the seasons to bring food to a population that might go hungry if the ferries were no longer to bring in the packaged products that we have been trained to eat.
I wish Santa Fe would appreciate the efforts of Gaia Gardens offerings to an urban community.
It is very sad that a neighbor and an individual from Eldorado are carrying out their personal mission to destroy an excellent urban opportunity. I have to ask Dr. Watkin and the complaining neighbor to answer this simple question: What value has been added to your life by harassing and name-calling the careful custodians at Gaia Gardens?
An earnest vegetarian would be prudent wise and socially adroit NOT to go into a steak house and demand to be served a vegetarian meal and when it is not forthcoming in the manner anticipated to make the proprietors into idiots and fools and then attempt to polarize restaurant goers into those who are good folk and those that are bad folk...
ReplyDeleteFarm or not farm yo yo factory or brothel...listen mate it is not about us and them here.
Your egotism and selfishness permitted your intent to impose a business in a neighborhood where individuals have purchased homes, work 40 hour work weeks and pay mortgages and taxes to enjoy the reality they have consciously invested in.
Issue is not about you, not about farm and not about the terrible neighbors and city government.
Any mature thoughtful individual would see that.
If you have any intent to try in another neighborhood the same shenanigans know that it will not be permitted.
Best to start anew in a community that does not have such zoning restrictions and lobby if you feel you must to change the codes. But with respect for all folk, do it in the right order.
Don't know how really it was permitted for so long.
Now that's to be concerned about.
Gee, I wanna drive my BMW 100 miles an hour, darn I can't well maybe I'll just do it anyway and in the meanwhile see if I can schmooz the police to let me whizz by.... ever think regulatory mechanisms empower people to excell. Your business model would be perfect for a third world country, busloads of school kids, no nagging neighbors, no regulations on inspections to ensure your produce is safe...
Thailand perhaps, I saw a cheap one way ticket, the donators would get over it... bye bye bozo.
One cannot impose will upon another
where agreements are in place.
IE: laws agreed upon by the folk
of all differences residing in our
community.
This issue is not personal.
It is basic respect of the agreements
we all unfortunately or not agree to
abide living in our so called civilized world.
IE: laws, in this case those pertinent to zoning.
Imposition of one's will for whatever the purported reason,
Gross disrespect of the rights of other by merit of assuming one is above
the "rules of the game" IE: Zoning laws...pretty clear dictum.
for however noble or righteous ones self-proclaimed life reasons
may or may not be....
well that is a sure recipe for confrontation opposition and ultimately
the demise of said intents.
no one is hiding quite the opposite!
well aware of how your idea to have a life purpose have been at the cost of disobeying and flaunting a system (however rife with ridiculousness it may be) that was put in place by guess who:
your neighbors: your community.
No hate or judgement just a message. Take it or not.
Luckily that is the true essence of free will.
Iceberg lettuce? Romaine...
Not the point but I guess if the point was understood
this discussion would not be necessitated.
Answer is simple.
ReplyDeleteAbide by the laws of our city.
Change desired?
Great.
Lobby for change.
But it will not again be permitted
Suggestion.
Farm your heart about in an area where
laws presently are in place thus allowing
resolve
no more confrontations.
very simple.
Deborah; What value has been added to your life by name calling and harassing the gentle people at Gaia Gardens? I have a curiosity to understand, what value has been added and what fulfillment do you receive from your persistent quest to harass the efforts of Gaia Gardens?
ReplyDeleteI thank you in advance for your sincere answer.
If you received no value or reward, you would not have returned to this blog site looking for fuel to spew your verbal confrontations.
Please help me understand the rewards and value that have come to your life with all of your attention given to Gaia Gardens.