City officials took Ohio man to court after he ripped up his pretty lawn to start a vegetable garden — then 14 of his neighbors showed up in court
Andy Gorman was anxious about his hobby, but he turned it into a full-fledged farm and a massive victory for his community
When Sharonville, Ohio native Andy Gorman started farming about a decade ago, he did it completely out of sight inside his garage. He kept his project hidden because he didn't know what he was doing and didn't want his neighbors to think he was out of his mind. But that was years ago; now, what began as a secret hobby has grown into a full-blown farm in his residential property known as Cincy Urban Farm, where he even hosts visitors. To make full use of his property, he even tore down his front garden, installing weed barriers on parts of the sidewalk. This was something that got him into a brush-up with the law, which he eventually won, as reported by WCPO 9 (@Wcpo9) in a clip on June 6, 2026, garnering over 250,000 views.
He never wanted to be a farmer
Even though Gorman now has six wheelbarrows, something his wife usually jokes about, Gorman never dreamt of being a farmer. It all started when he wanted to go on a plant-based diet and started to grow a couple of vegetables to support his lifestyle. Today, his backyard is full of high tunnels, and his front yard is filled with rows of potatoes. At first, none of this was an issue; it was just a man trying to grow his own food on his own land. However, things began to shift as his project expanded, and when Gorman started growing almost everything.
Gorman bit off more than he could chew
Everything Gorman was growing was a lot of food for him and his wife, so they decided to give it away to their neighbors and close ones. But even that wasn't enough, prompting the man to sell his produce. "Everyone should have access to this kind of food," he said. That's why, although he didn't have any plans of selling his food, he did it eventually by setting up a tent in his driveway. Within no time, he and his farm became the talk of the town, while most people spoke well of him, the city didn't like it.
Dragged into a legal battle
Gorman was hit with a zoning violation for selling his produce at his own house. Nonetheless, he felt that what he was doing was normal and that it was something he loved. So, without thinking twice, he appealed the violation in October. And in November, during the proceedings, 14 residents spoke in his favor. This, of course, meant a lot to Gorman, who was just trying to spread joy. "It just means the world to me,” Gorman said.
“That just really proved to me that what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years has really been making a difference," he further noted. Naturally, the court ruled in his favor, and now Gorman is getting ready for the new season. He even took to Instagram (@cincyurbanfarm) to talk about how happy he was to be able to farm at his house again. "A Huge Win for Sharonville, the Farm, and Our Community! Last night was an incredible moment not just for me, but for everyone who believes in local food, community, and common sense," he wrote.
Urban farming remains largely hindered
While Gorman has been able to turn the decision in his favor, thanks to support from his community, that's not the case with most of the urban farms. According to a study by Cambridge University, owners face a lot of issues in states where the ability to regulate urban farms is in the hands of the government. While some of them are logistical, a lot has to do with the government failing to support the activity and also hindering it through restrictive laws.
That said, this explains why the people were behind Gorman as they took to the comments to showcase their support for the farmer. @nuggetmaster05 commented, "Nothing scares the food overlords more than people that can grow their own food and share it with others for free." Meanwhile, @lyndathomas2067 noted, "Thank goodness common sense prevailed. It should be illegal to stop someone from growing food, not the other way around.
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