Grow squash. Grow zucchini. Grow carrots.

But if you have a community garden in the city of Hamilton, you’d better not be growing mushrooms.

The city’s planning committee approved new rules on Tuesday to allow more urban farms and community gardens. The official plan changes define urban farms and community gardens, and what can be grown there.

Vegetables are encouraged, but no mushrooms are allowed, said Joanne Hickey-Evans, the city’s manager of policy planning.

Mushroom growing is traditionally a smelly affair, and the city can only legislate how the land is used, not whether someone brings in manure, she said. So mushroom growing is banned in the official plan.

Hamilton resident Victor Veri disputed the official plan amendment, in part because of the mushroom aspect. He said he might object it at the Ontario Municipal Board.

The city should allow mushrooms and shouldn’t differentiate, said Veri, who grows vegetables. Farming is farming.

“Call it an urban farm, rural farm, it’s still farming.”

Coun. Robert Pasuta of Ward 14 is a farmer and also saw little harm in allowing mushrooms. Some types of mushroom growing emit little odour at all, he said.

“I can take you to mushroom plants right now where there’s no smell at all.”

In addition to the manure element, mushrooms are also generally grown in “bunker-type buildings” the city doesn’t want to encourage, Hickey-Evans said.

Community gardens and urban farms are increasing in popularity, Hickey-Evans said. A McQuesten neighbourhood group is starting a new urban farm. Mohawk College is also considering an urban agriculture project.

Here are some highlights of the changes:

The city defines an urban farm as land maintained by a group of people who harvest edible plants, vegetables and fruits for sale. A community garden is land used to harvest edible plants, fruits and vegetables where the people maintaining the garden consume or donate the food.

The official plan amendments will allow agriculture in Dundas, which currently isn’t allowed. Elsewhere in Hamilton, urban farms are allowed only in certain limited areas. The new rules allow urban farms and community gardens in most residential and commercial areas of Hamilton.

Hamilton residents still won’t be able to have livestock — including chickens — in urban areas of Hamilton.

Urban farms must be at least 0.4 hectare (one acre) to receive the designation.

The new amendments define a “produce stand” as an area of 18.5 square metres, the same as rural areas.

Urban farms can have secondary buildings such as sheds, garages and other structures as long as they’re no larger than a two-car garage. Any building that’s larger should have the same setbacks as the main building on a property and can’t be taller than 10.5 metres.

Because of environmental concerns, the amendments do not allow community gardens on brownfield land. But any existing community gardens located on brownfield lands will be grandfathered in under the new rules.

City council will vote on Sept. 24 to ratify the changes.