South Florida Couple Challenges Front Yard Garden Ban

Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll say the Miami Shores ordinance violates the Florida Constitution's property rights protections.

A South Florida couple is heading to court to challenge a town's ordinance that bans vegetable gardens in the front yards of homes.

Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll say the Miami Shores ordinance violates the Florida Constitution's property rights protections. The ordinance adopted in May includes possible fines of up to $50 per day.

The couple's lawsuit filed this week in Miami-Dade Circuit Court says their home's back yard faces north and isn't good for growing vegetables during South Florida's prime winter months. They also say the garden produced about 80 percent of the food they ate.

The couple is represented by the Virginia-based Institute for Justice, which is challenging other laws around the country that place restrictions on how people can grow and consume food.

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