Villager - March 31, 2010
Permit enables urban farm store to come to roost on Selby Avenue

A Selby Avenue building will become an urban farm supply store, tapping into a growing movement of city dwellers growing their own food and even raising their own chickens. Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply is expected to open next month at 1771 Selby Ave. The St. Paul Planning Commission granted a conditional use permit for the property on March 26, following a unanimous recommendation of approval from its Zoning Committee on March 18.

Store owners Audrey Matson and Robert Lies intend to sell seasonal garden plants along with supplies for backyard food production. Although the main floor of the building has been used as retail space since it was built almost a century ago, all garden centers in St. Paul are required to have conditional use permits.

City staff recommended approval of the permit with a modification of the lot-size requirement. City planner Anton Jerve said garden centers are generally required to be located on lots of at least 20,000 square feet, and the Selby property has only 4,366 square feet. He said the farm store met all other conditions. The sale of plants will be an accessory use to the main store. The sales will be conducted in a fenced area at the rear of the building.

No one appeared at the public hearing to speak against the permit. Three letters were received in support, including one from the Union Park District Council.
The outdoor sale of live plants will take place from April through October. The plants will not be grown on-site. Matson, who is involved with community gardening and urban chicken-keeping groups in her Hamline-Midway neighborhood, said she was surprised to learn that they would need a permit to sell plants and that the permits are typically issued for much larger properties. The business has already secured a nursery dealer license.

"We don’t think of our business as a garden center," said Matson, who most recently worked as manager of Hermes Garden Center on Larpenteur Avenue. She said Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply is meant to serve area residents who are interested in raising vegetables and fruits in small backyard gardens.

"The term ‘locavore’ has entered the national lexicon, referring to people who try to eat only locally grown produce and food," Matson said. "The Twin Cities market has seen an increase in the number of restaurants that serve locally sourced foods, as well as some delis and other food stores. Well, it doesn’t get any more local than your own backyard."

The store will be a combination garden center, hardware store, bookstore and gift shop. Along with the plants sold outside during the growing season, Egg|Plant will sell seeds, growing supplies, fertilizers, soil, garden tools, books and canning equipment. Classes are planned as well as a garden pot recycling program.

The store will also carry supplies for raising chickens and bees. Having more than three chickens in St. Paul requires a city permit and permission from surrounding neighbors. Homeowners may neither own roosters nor sell eggs without a permit. Keeping a backyard bee hive also requires a city permit.

Jane McClure

Correction from Egg|Plant:
Both St. Paul and Minneapolis require a permit to keep any number of chickens.