Urban Farming and S.B. 122

State Bill 122 Urban Farming Assessment Act states that "this bill provides that land in a county of the first class that is used for urban farming may be assessed based on its value for agricultural purposes" which brought to mind the Green Bronx Machine project by Bronx 6th grade teacher Stephen Ritz. Utilization of local land in a positive way should be the goal of every community, especially use of land that has been abandoned and unusable for other industries. I fully support legislative acts such as these to be presented not only statewide but nationwide as well. 

In my hometown, Magna, I remember walking down 8400 West and seeing fields instead of buildings, small offices rather than corporations, and cattle housed in nearby farms. As the years have quickly passed by I have seen the landscape slowly change from farmland to houses, shopping centers, and business offices. But amongst all the growth there have been many abandoned lots that sit unused. 

There is an abandoned parking lot about two miles from my parent's house  in south Magna that has been sitting for many years. The company that owns the lot laid off many employees and never got back up to the status they once were as a business in our community; the parking lot has been left untouched ever since. I often wonder if the lot will ever see use again and hope, every time I drive by the lot, that it will come to some better use than sitting and waiting to decay.

I know in the LDS faith self-sufficiency and preparedness go hand in hand. Food storage is built, thrift stores and storehouses are utilized, not only by the members of the faith but the community as well, and gardens are cultivated by volunteers who want to know more about gardening and producing their own crops. This is a great use of old land. The Bishop Storehouse in Magna has a garden on the same property where people can volunteer and help the community prosper through growing fresh, local produce. 

I love the Green Bronx Machine!!! I think the project is a wonderful idea and would help so many communities not only in the United States but around the world. The project has definitely inspired me to be creative in growing crops in our tiny townhome in Logan.

Maybe one day we can all have housetop gardens that we can share with our communities, families, and friends.

http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2012/bills/static/SB0122.html

http://greenbronxmachine.org/