A “Freedom to Garden Act” has passed the Iowa Senate unanimously. The bill would forbid state and local governments from regulating vegetable gardens on property the gardener owns or rents.
Sen. Cherielynn Westrich, R-Ottumwa, the bill’s floor manager, says it addresses a “growing concern.”
“In other states, heavy-handed regulators have used local zoning ordinances to explicitly ban home vegetable gardens or to put up unreasonable rules governing what homeowners may grow and where they can plant their food… with heavy fines levied for violating these mandates.”
“This bill addresses a growing concern — literally growing our own food.”Republican Sen. Cherielynn Westrich
The bill says Iowans have a right “to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume food” they grow in their own garden. It also says that home gardeners would have a right to sell what they grow.
“In my view, this is a basic human right… Wisconsin has similar legislation and has added protections into their constitution, as well. And legislation has sprouted up in states like Florida and Illinois and others.”
There are some exceptions to the bill. For instance, it would still be illegal to grow marijuana. A section of the bill would give Iowans who object to a neighbor’s garden a chance to go to court and get a judge to declare the garden a public nuisance.
Over 43% of Americans grew some fruits or vegetables to eat at home, according to the National Gardening Association’s 2024 survey.