Yesterday, KCMO City Council Planning & Zoning Committee listened to almost an hour and a half of testimony in support of urban agriculture. The public hearing was moved to a different room from the week before so that the public could better hear the discussion around the table.

The question wasn’t about whether urban agriculture should be allowed, but under what regulation, and specifically whether to allow on-site sales and volunteers / employees, and some details about aesthetics (apparently some people think greenhouses are ugly – go figure).

It was a packed room again. Conscientious, intelligent and forward-thinking individuals eloquently presented compelling case after case for updating our current ordinances. Among them were civil engineers, urban planners, community organizers, food bank representatives, “green” real estate agents and residents from all parts of the city – north, south, east and west.

Myths and common misconceptions about urban farming were put to rest.

• Fear: An urban farm would harm residents and the water supply with an additional overload of pesticides and herbicides in a neighborhood. Nope: Most urban farmers utilize organic growing methods.
• Fear: A market garden would bring too much additional traffic to a quiet street. Nope: A single garden would feed a relatively small number of people over the course of a single week, many of them already residents of the neighborhood, so additional traffic would be almost imperceptible.
• Fear: Urban farms, and especially “hoop houses” would drive property values down. Nope again: The research presented showed just the opposite – that property values increase when farms are visible in urban neighborhoods. They’re marketed as amenities (if your real estate agent has a clue!) and are a visible sign of strong community, green consciousness and employment opportunities for youth.

What may have been viewed by some as a fringe issue when first brought to the table, is now seen by the Committee as an already vibrant and rapidly growing movement with overwhelming support. The Committee understands that the proposal to update our current codes is a vitally important and very necessary undertaking. They acknowledged that everyone – supporters AND opposition of the ordinance changes – heartily support urban agriculture, and that both sides are not so far apart on what they want to achieve. “[Kansas City is] WAY behind the curve on this…”, they said and “an acceptable agreement is not far off”. They will meet again in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion…!