2016 District of Columbia Code
Title 48 - Foods and Drugs. §§ 48-101 - 48-1213
Chapter 4 - Food Production and Urban Gardens Program. §§ 48-401 - 48-403
§ 48–402. Urban Farming and Gardens Program established.

The Mayor shall establish an Urban Farming and Gardens Program, which shall include the development, implementation, and promotion of policies that encourage the donation and cultivation of public and private vacant lots for use as urban farms or community gardens, including:

(1) The development of a land leasing initiative for publicly-owned vacant lots;

(2) The inclusion of community gardening projects in the summer employment programs operated by the District government;

(3) The provision by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of the District of Columbia of technical assistance and research in the form of educational materials and programs for community gardening, urban farming, and other self-help food production efforts;

(4) Coordination with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, both on the use of suitable portions of buildings and grounds for community gardens or urban farming, and on the development of instructional programs in science and gardening that prepare students for related career opportunities such as restaurant produce supply, landscaping, and floral design;

(5) The encouragement of food buying clubs and produce markets throughout the District to increase the supply of and demand for urban farms; and

(6) The development of incentives and community outreach efforts to promote the availability of public and private vacant lots for participation in the Urban Farming and Gardens Program.

(Feb. 28, 1987, D.C. Law 6-210, § 3, 34 DCR 699; July 27, 2010, D.C. Law 18-209, § 505, 57 DCR 4779; Apr. 30, 2015, D.C. Law 20-248, § 101(b), 62 DCR 1504.)

1981 Ed., § 33-902.

This section is referenced in § 38-825.03.

D.C. Law 18-209, in par. (3)(D), substituted “Office of the State Superintendent of Education” for “Board of Education of the District of Columbia”.

The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-248 rewrote this section.

“Section 419 of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984,” referred to in the introductory language, is found in § 3 of D.C. Law 5-76.

Section 301 of D.C. Law 20-248 provided that nothing in the act shall be construed to create a governmental liability or cause of action against the District related to the safety of food purchased on District lands by non-governmental entities.

Applicability of D.C. Law 20-248: Section 6183 of D.C. Law 21-36 removed the funding requirement and other applicability restrictions in D.C. Law 20-248, § 302, as enacted.