The Sweetwater Organic Community Farm in Northwest Hillsborough County has become a smashing success in recent years, as it now has more than 400 members who have either half of full memberships to gain access to their chemical free fruits and vegetables each weekend.
The farm has become a leader in sustainable agriculture, and has been an inspiration for the many community gardens that have sprung up throughout the Bay area in recent years.
But according to the farm's Founder and Executive Director, Rick Martinez, the farm's Town N' Country location is threatened. He says that last year he was informed last year by county officials that under current zoning, he is not allowed to farm at the location, and was issued a code violation.
So Martinez says that after consulting with those same officials, he believes the best solution would be to apply for a re-zoning.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.