Florida man resists government tyranny by refusing to uproot front yard garden

The “beauty” police are at it again; this time in Florida where a man is refusing to uproot his edible front yard garden and replace it with water-hogging grass to appease the demands of city officials. As reported by WKMG News in Orlando, Jason Helvingston is bravely standing up for his sovereign freedom to grow whatever he chooses on his own land, which just so happens to be a fully-functioning, well-kept vegetable and herb garden that his neighbors do not seem to be particularly concerned with as a “nuisance.”

Trouble arose for Helvingston several months ago when local code enforcement officials from the City of Orlando first noticed the garden, and subsequently notified the man that his front yard, a 25-foot by 25-foot plot marked by clean rows of radishes and other superfood delectables, was allegedly in violation of local ordinances. Helvingston, a homeowner in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, challenged the city’s vendetta against him, citing the fact that his garden is beneficial, sustainable, and well-enjoyed by locals.

But local officials are refusing to relent, having insisted that Helvingston remove his garden by November 5, or else face further action against him. Refusing to allow his sovereign rights to be trampled upon by ignorant bureaucrats, Helvingston is standing his ground and sticking by his natural right to grow his own food. He has even gathered hundreds of signatures from his neighbors as part of a petition to convince the city that its demands are completely unwarranted, and not in the best interests of local citizens.

“I said, ‘You’ll take my house before you take my vegetable garden,’” explained Helvingston to WKMG News about his dealings with the city in recent days. “There’s nothing wrong here. There’s nothing poisonous here. This is a sustainable plot of land. I said to the city, ‘All right, we’ll put up a fence.’ [They said] — not acceptable.”