Hello my name is Anthony Pippin. My Family and I have a 3/4 acre urban farm called Pippin's Produce in Fairfield, Ohio started in 2015. We grow chemical free produce for our community year round on our farm. We have a 25 member CSA with pick ups from May- October, do the West Chester Farmers Market every Saturday and work with lots of amazing chefs from around the Cincinnati area. Our produce is picked fresh and travels an average of 6.8 miles vs. 1000's of miles from the national produce suppliers.

Having an urban farm has many bennifits but also creates struggles at the same time. Unfortunately right now is one of those times. Over the past couple weeks I've worked with zoning to be able to continue growing produce for our community on our urban farm. Unfortunately, our hoop house is now the reason for concerns. Our 14x72 hoop house has aloud us to grow through the most extreme seasons that Ohio can put us through. Unfortunately the zoning ordinance in the city call for structures to have wood, metal,or vinyl siding and a metal or shingle roof. Well if you know anything about greenhouses, you know this won't work. The city is ordering us to take it down and this will mean killing everything that is already planted and growing. This will also drastically shorten our growing season. All this is happening at the exact same time I am working with the NRCS to receive a grant for a 30x72 high tunnel. If the US government believes in investing in me this much I just to want to prove to the zoning board that community supports us too.

On April 3 we will be heard at the Fairfield Zoning Board of Appeals. Our proposal will be to allow us to keep our current hoops until the process is completed with the NRCS and replace our hoop house with the high tunnel. 

If you care about local sustainable food or even just rights to your own property, please help support us by signing and sharing this petition.