Our city is on the forefront of urban agriculture. This past fall, the Somerville officials passed regulations and an ordinance allowing residents to keep chickens, bees, and personal commercial farms right in their own back yard. In most cities, zoning laws hinder homesteading activities such as these due to conflicts with health, safety, and noise regulations. But with proper government, selling your own vegetables and keeping your own hens can be a safe, rewarding path towards self-sufficiency. For example, if you are selling vegetables grown on your property in Somerville, you are required to run an annual soil health test. Hens are fine, but because of the noise issue roosters are not allowed to be kept on Somerville lots.
A crowded city might seem like the last place to put up miniature farms, but the sheer number of mouths to feed is reason enough to grow food wherever we can. Whether it is veggies, eggs, or honey, urban ag is here to stay in Somerville.
