[Scpg] YOU TUBE Obsessives : Urban Farming Novella Carpenter /Times are a changing

[Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network]

Novella Carpenter started small, with some plants in an empty lot next 
to her house in Oakland. A couple of years later, she was tending to a 
full-blown farm, with goats, turkeys, ducks, pigs, and a robust garden. 
This video tackles questions of neighborliness (which is more offensive: 
police sirens or roosters crowing?), environmental poisons (raised beds 
are key), and the all-important slaughter question. The answer: Yes, she 
does (and yes, there is some bloody footage).


I have visited her farm in Oakland , she is a amazing soul, creating an 
oasis in a pretty tough part Oakland ringed by freeways, an island of sanity
UPDATE ON FARM as world changed for her, she is pregnant, it good to see 
how life unfolds and the human changes that happen to all of us

Novella Carpenter
http://ghosttownfarm.wordpress.com/

Novella Carpenter is the author of the 2009 memoir Farm City: The 
Education of an Urban Farmer. The book describes her extensive garden in 
Ghost Town, a run down neighborhood a mile from downtown Oakland, 
California.


Clearing It Out
Posted on September 18, 2012 | 4 Comments
A few months ago I finally got my permit from the City of Oakland. It 
came in the form of a letter. And with that, a chapter closed. A messy, 
annoying chapter.

Today I finally had the time to return the yellow placard that’s been up 
in front of the gate for the last year. One of the inspectors told me 
I’d get a $50 deposit back if I brought in the City of Oakland permit 
application sign. So this morning, I cut it down from the zip-ties that 
had been holding it, glad to finally be rid of the thing (it confused 
people–some who thought the lot was owned by the city; others who 
thought it was ok to call me on the phone number provided just to say 
“hi.”). I rode my bike to the City Hall’s planning Department with the 
sign balanced in one hand.

For those of you who don’t know the whole story of the permit, here’s 
the recap: May 2011 the City of Oakland came to me and said I needed a 
permit for crop and livestock raising activities on my commercial lot. 
The permit would cost almost $3000 (one time fee). People who read this 
blog sent me the money via paypal, the mail, and in the farmstand tip 
jar–which, BTW, is fucking amazing! thank you all who helped save 
Ghosttown Farm! If I didn’t send you a postcard thank you, know that I 
meant to but I got real busy. Upon submitting the fee, I had to jump 
through a lot of hoops, and figure out how to defend my right to farm. 
Luckily, I was aided by the genius legal council of Janelle Orsi and 
Philip Heiselmann. They cut through the legalese for me, and explained, 
step by step, what I should do. I’m eternally grateful to them. If you 
need a good lawyer, I’ll give you their contact info.

While waiting for the permit, I got pregnant and all the plants died, 
and I could barely remember to feed the rabbits (but I did, you nosy 
NOBS people, I still did). I shifted my priorities–having a child meant 
having a farmstand that makes $5 profit doesn’t really make sense to me 
anymore (as fun as it was). I realized I don’t have time for livestock 
(except for bees), and sold or gave all the critters away. I also 
discovered that I don’t think it’s cute when I see a man shooting up in 
the garden (which just happened last week). And so, I’m locking the 
gates to the farm, which have been open and free since 2003 on October 
1, 2012.

What’s the plan? The farm is turning into an orchard. With the help of 
Molly Bolt, we will be planting all the trees that have been in 
containers, so that the land will have over 25 fruit trees growing 
there, adding oxygen and sweet smells to the air. Eventually, once 
Francis is older, the trees will start producing fruit–maybe enough to 
sell, maybe not. I’ve learned so much from that little parcel of land, 
and it’s not over yet. Though the gate will be locked, I’ll still be 
posting about various happenings…stay tuned for a post about making 
cheese with cardoon flowers…

At the permit office, I handed the lady at the desk the big yellow 
placard. A spider crawled out of the middle of the sign, wondering where 
the hell it was. She whisked it away and sent me to the cashiers desk. 
The woman there told me–oh, you don’t get a refund because you never 
paid it. I just shrugged and laughed to myself: it’s the perfect way to 
end that process.

If you’d like to take a class with Molly that is in conjunction with the 
orchard plant at GT Farm, please email me–my name at the big G–and I’ll 
give you details.