Starting a Garden or Farm in San Francisco

Image courtesy Anne Hamersky

Starting a garden or farm in San Francisco just got a little bit easier. Pulling together the most recent changes to city laws, the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance recently released a guide to the regulations for growing and selling food within San Francisco.

The guide covers a host of topics including:

  • Finding land
  • Gardening on private versus public land
  • Water access
  • Selling what you grow
  • Specific sections on rooftop gardens, animal husbandry, and soil testing.

The booklet was produced based on the guidance of staff from eight city agencies, ranging from the County Agricultural Commissioner to the Department of Building Inspections. It consolidates, for the first time, the specific wording of agency rules as well as relevant departmental contact information.

The guide won't help your plants or animals thrive, but it does serve as a road map to the rules and policies specific to the City for aspiring gardeners and urban farmers.

Read “Starting a Garden or Urban Farm in San Francisco” >>

Learn more about the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance >>

Note: The author serves as a volunteer co-coordinator of the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance