Ordinance change proposed to allow ‘urban farming’ in Clarksburg

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The City of Clarksburg has proposed a change to its ordinance on keeping farm animals which could potentially allow residents to keep “miniature animals” within city limits.

According to a release, the proposed change comes from “a growing interest in urban farming, sustainability, and enhancing food chain security.” If passed, residents in city limits would be permitted to keep livestock such as potbelly pigs, miniature goats, rabbits and bees.

The release said that the changes are expected to benefit the Clarksburg-area communities in three specific ways.

1. Sustainability: By adopting the ordinance change, residents are expected to be less reliant on industrial food production systems as they can adopt their own ways of producing and distributing food grown in a controlled environment.
2. Food chain security: Similar to sustainability, residents under the new ordinance would be less impacted by large-scale disruptions in the food supply chain and would be able to fall back on their own livestock in the event of an emergency.
3. Quality of life improvements: Urban farming has reportedly been associated with several benefits to local communities including improved physical and mental wellness, increased access to healthy food and stronger social connections.

The City of Fairmont passed a similar change to its ordinance in August 2023 which permitted the use of beekeeping within city limits. Clarksburg residents are also already able to keep up to 20 chickens within city limits per city ordinance 505.04: KEEPING OF DOMESTIC FOWL OR PIGEONS.

The Clarksburg City Council will hear and consider this update at its council meeting on Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m.

Source: wboy.com