Fwd: FW: Farm Stand Bill
David Wells
From: Alicia Batson <crack...@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, May 21, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Subject: FW: Farm Stand Bill
To: David Wells <humbleab...@gmail.com>
Cc: Sarah Bellos <s.be...@gmail.com>
David,
Could Ellen’s letter below be sent out on the NUH list serve?
Alicia
From: Ellen Jacobson, MD [mailto:EJaco...@skinmdpllc.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 5:03 PM
To: Ellen Jacobson, MD
Cc: Ellen Jacobson, MD
Subject: Farm Stand Bill
Hello Friends,
Jason Holleman, Tatum Stewart and I are lobbying to change and implement new zoning for Davidson County to permit direct farm sales. To this end, Council Members Jason Holleman and Jacobia Dowell have written a bill that will be presented to Metro Planning Commission and Metro Council. We are requesting your support by asking you to speak at one or both of the upcoming meetings at which the bill will be formally introduced and discussed. The first opportunity to speak will be at the Metropolitan Planning Commission on either June 14 or 28; the agenda for these meeting dates has not yet been set. The bill will be heard at Metro Council on July 3. We would like you to present on one of the topics set forth below or one of your own choosing in support of this zoning change. In addition to speakers we need a strong public show of support at both meetings.
When Tatum and I started the process to establish a pick-your-own orchard in Bells Bend, we discovered that on-site agricultural sales are not permitted by Davidson County zoning laws. While researching models for on-site agricultural sales in Davidson County, we learned that direct farm sales would not be permitted unless the farm lands were rezoned for commercial use. Upon learning this, I contacted Jason Holleman for his assistance in defining a land use code that would address direct farm sales.
As you may be aware, Jason is the sponsor of the Commercial Community Gardening Bill. This bill addresses allowing community gardens as a permitted use in open lots in residential areas. The bill does not, though, allow community gardeners or commercial community gardeners to operate farm stands in residential areas. As a result, Jason and Jacobia are introducing a separate bill to allow for on-site agricultural sales as allowed in surrounding counties and across the nation.
We would like you to speak to your choice of topics and issues that support the passing of this bill. Some topics that I think should be addressed include:
▫ Health and Economics of Sustainable Agriculture vs. Industrial Agriculture Concepts
▫ Benefits of Local Food & Farming
▫ Food Safety
▫ Green Ribbon Committee recommendations
▫ Disaster Preparedness and Food Supply
▫ Carbon Footprint Reduction vs. Existing Conditions
▫ Environmental Sustainability
▫ Nashville’s National Ranking and Position for Sustainability and Environmental Issues
Your points of view and stature in the discussions surrounding these issues are pivotal to our efforts to amend these regulations and your presence at the Metro Planning Commission would have a meaningful impact on the reception of this bill. I hope you will accept this opportunity to speak and support sustainable agriculture in Nashville.
Yours truly,
Ellen Jacobson
From: Ellen Jacobson, MD
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:40 PM
To: Ellen Jacobson, MD
Subject: speakers and their email addresses
Alicia Batson: <crack...@comcast.net>
Peter Burns: (pete...@gmail.com) <pete...@gmail.com>
Miriam Leibovitz: mir...@sovafood.com
Tatum Stewart : stewarto...@gmail.com
Lonnell Matthews : lonnell....@nashville.gov
Marth Stamps: www.marthastampscatering.com
--
David Wells
Farm Manager
Nashville Urban Harvest
Glencliff Garden Project