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by Nick Sibylla
Representative Sonia Harper filed an Illinois Vegetable Garden Protection Act (HB 633), Which would preserve and protect the right of all Illinois residents to “grow vegetable gardens on their own, or on someone else’s property with the permission of the owner, in any county, municipality, or other political division of that state.” The law protects the right to grow vegetables, as well as “herbs, fruits, flowers, pollinating plants, leafy greens, or other edible plants”. For many Illinois residents, this reform has been around for a long time, as similar measures have come close to being passed in previous cycles. Utility bill (SB 170As introduced by Senator David Kohler.
“I just want to grow my own food on my property. In America, this shouldn’t be a really controversial idea, and it definitely shouldn’t be,” said Nicole Virgil, an Elmhurst resident whose efforts to grow vegetables in her backyard were over and over again. Illegal. ”I want to teach my children the importance of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. I want them to understand and appreciate where the food is coming from. It is time for our representatives to enact reforms to protect my right to do so. “
If passed, Illinois would become the national leader in the local food movement, becoming only the second state to provide explicit protection for the right to grow one’s food. In 2019, Florida The enactment of the first statewide law to protect vegetable gardens, which grew out of a years-long legal battle fought on behalf of the Institute of Justice Miami Shores couple They are forced to uproot the 17-year-old vegetable garden, after the city has banned vegetable gardens in the front yards. Legislative reforms in Florida and Illinois are part of IJ National Food Freedom InitiativeThis enhances the ability of individuals to produce, buy and consume the foods of their choice.
“This bill strips local governments of the power to impose a HOA-style ban on the act of self-sufficiency that humans have engaged in for thousands of years,” said attorney Ari Barjeel, attorney for IJ Ari Barjeel. “About a year ago, as fears of the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country, many Americans expressed grave concerns about weaknesses in our country’s food supply chain, as grocery stores rationed purchases and shelves grew. “For the past 12 months, the ability to grow food is not just a right – for many, it is a necessity. Passing this bill is an important step in the path to food freedom for all Americans.
Source: Justice Institute
