SPUR, David Chiu push SF urban gardens URBAN AGRICULTURE Planners, proposed legislation push to streamline process

Volunteer Bob Chase prunes fruit trees at the Tenderloin People's Garden on the corner of McAllister and Larkin Streets, in San Francisco, Ca., on Friday April 20, 2012. The craze over planting kale and carrots in your backyard has taken root in San Francisco in a big way so big, in fact, it extends way beyond the backyard. Aspiring urban farmers sit on waiting lists for two years to use public plots of land. Starting a neighborhood garden from scratch means tangling with potentially seven agencies. Although the city changed zoning rules last year to allow gardens, its approach to urban agriculture could be simpler and reap better benefits, suggests a report to be released Monday by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association. Supervisor David Chiu plans to introduce legislation to simplify the process. less Volunteer Bob Chase prunes fruit trees at the Tenderloin People's Garden on the corner of McAllister and Larkin Streets, in San Francisco, Ca., on Friday April 20, 2012. The craze over planting kale and carrots ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close SPUR, David Chiu push SF urban gardens 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The craze over planting cabbage and carrots in the backyard has taken root in San Francisco in such a big way that it's grown well beyond the backyard.

Almost 100 edible gardens have sprouted throughout the city, on both public and private land. Waiting lists for patches of soil can be two years, sometimes longer.

But while urban agriculture may be wildly popular, starting a neighborhood garden from scratch in San Francisco means tangling with as many as seven city agencies.

Although the city changed zoning rules last year to allow gardeners to grow and sell food, its approach to urban farming could be simpler and reap greater benefits, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, or SPUR, says in a report being released Monday. Legislation that attempts to streamline the process will be introduced to the Board of Supervisors this week.

"There are more people who want space to grow food than there is space to grow that food," said Eli Zigas, who oversaw the analysis as food systems and urban agriculture program manager for the smart-growth think tank.

More space

The report, the result of a six-month study of the budding small-business model, makes the case for increasing that space. It calls on city agencies, including the Recreation and Park Department and the Public Utilities Commission, to provide more land to urban farmers, including existing public areas that are underused.

The report identifies about 50 potential, and sometimes unconventional, spots where farms could grow, such as parks, rooftops, median strips and vacant lots.

Urban farms will never be able to produce enough to feed every San Franciscan, Zigas said. But, he said, they yield benefits that go beyond fresh crops. They bring neighbors together, serve as potential sites for learning, absorb rainwater and can save the city from spending money to landscape and weed a site.

In its report, SPUR recommends assigning the management of urban gardens to a single body. According to the report, eight agencies or organizations, not including school gardens, spent an average of $580,000 on ongoing or one-time expenses related to urban farms from 2006 to 2011.

'The next steps'

"There are people who want to start projects who find it difficult to do so because they don't know who to talk to," Zigas said. "Or they approach an agency, and the agency doesn't know how to respond because that's not what they do."

On Tuesday, Supervisor David Chiu plans to introduce legislation that calls for creating and housing such a program within either a city agency or a nonprofit organization by the end of the year.

"What we've all been thinking about with the urban agriculture community is: What are the next steps to ensure that San Francisco remains on the forefront of the urban agriculture movement?" he said. "We are doing what we can to give our residents an opportunity to grow and invest in our open spaces."

A year ago in the Diamond Heights neighborhood, waist-high weeds plagued a 2,500-square-foot patch of land next to the San Francisco Police Academy. Resident Richard Craib, exasperated with the sight, thought the area would be better off as a community garden.

Little Red Hen

But there was no straightforward process for getting started, Craib said. He went to the mayor's office, where he was told he needed to be a registered nonprofit organization.

He ended up working with the Police Department, which owns the property, and the community group Friends of Glen Canyon Park to clear the land and raise more than $3,000.

In May, the Little Red Hen Community Garden opened with 25 plots, each 54 by 12 inches. Demand was so great, the number of spaces quickly grew to 39, then to 50.

Two dozen people are waiting for a spot to plant their own crops - and some have waited since the garden opened 11 months ago.

"The wait list just keeps growing," Craib said.

Now, rows of planter boxes overflow with gleaming stalks of chard and kale. Strawberries, snap peas and mushrooms are ripe for the picking.

"It's fun seeing people enjoy the fruits of their efforts," Craib said. "It's fun seeing things grow by your own hand."