Anyone is welcome to take vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plant cuttings from the garden for free. At the same time, anyone is welcome to bring to the space whatever communal items or plants they wished to donate to the Open Growth Space.
Community , Direct Action ….. @UR_NINJA
By Jenn Schreiter, Unicorn Riot September 28, 2020
Minneapolis, MN – Without waiting for permission, growers began planting vegetables and herbs in an empty lot on Lake Street and 17th Avenue. Their aim was to reclaim the dormant land on behalf of the community who lived nearby, in whatever way they saw fit to put it to use.
“We would like to see those places be used for something that benefits the community rather than just sitting and waiting for a developer to come in and build a condo.“
— Lake Street Open Space volunteer
‘Lake Street Open Growth Space‘ was the name chosen for this squatted garden. A ‘squat‘ is a reclamation of neglected or unused privately-owned property to transform it into a public commons.
In August, we interviewed several volunteer organizers at the Open Growth Space…
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The Most Revolutionary Act 
I think it’s a great idea and hope it catches on in other places, but I also wonder about the land’s owner. Someone has probably been paying property taxes on that “unused” land, so it would be considerate to get his/her permission and cooperation in the project. If approached respectfully, the owner might be an eager advocate for the project. Also, I’m concerned about liability if someone gets hurt or claims injury on the land. Where I live, property owners are held liable if even uninvited “guests” get hurt on their property.
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Interesting point, Katherine. I am very skeptical whether the land owner in question would be a private individual. Since the 2008 financial crisis, more and more urban land has being foreclosed on and consolidated under bank or corporate ownership.
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