In April of 2007, I became interested in the transformation of fallow public land into space for agriculture. Across the street from where my gardening (and life) partner Jessica and I live lies a sunny, flat roadside, at the base of a steep hill. It was my dear friend Max who initially proposed that this strip of land could be successfully used to grow crops. At first I was cynical, and assumed that any garden grown in plain view on a roadside would be vandalized, complained-about, and raided constantly. This has, for the most part, not been the case, and our humble roadside garden grows more fertile, and produces healthier crops, with each passing season. The following are some common questions I receive about the project:
Q: "Who owns the land?"
A: Roadsides, including those directly adjacent homes, are owned by the city or municipality in which they lay. Our garden is owned by the City of North Vancouver.
Q: "Did you ask permission to use the roadside for this purpose?"
A: Yes. Apparently there are no rules prohibiting such gardens, provided one asks the city (I did), receives the green light from the owner of the property adjacent the roadside (I did), and leaves a walkway between the beds and the road (I did).
Q: "Do you want to grow crops on the roadside in front of my house?"
A: At the moment, I don't, but others might.
Q: "Do other people harvest these vegetables?"
A: We have been pleasantly surprised at the decency of those who pass by the garden. Last summer, thirteen kale plants went missing all at once, and passers-by sample the odd pea, carrot, and radish, but for the most part we reap what we sow. The garden has renewed my faith in the inherent goodness of most people.
Q: "So if this is public land, does that mean that I can come by and harvest whatever I like?"
A: I can't prohibit anyone from doing anything. That being said, I strongly believe in sweat equity, and can't imagine tomatoes taken from the garden of honest, hard-working urban peasants taste all that sweet.
