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13 year old saves up $1,200 to buy a hot dog stand to help his family out. He files all the necessary paperwork, he gets a vending permit, gets permission from the property owner on where he is to set up his stand just to be shot down by city hall.

Duszynski was told by city officials that "his cart was in violation of a Holland zoning law that protects existing food businesses downtown against competition from mobile food vendors, and he would have to cease operation immediately."

ST. LOUIS — The city is changing how it issues permits for food vendors on downtown park property and sidewalks. The city wants more quality control, more oversight and, in some cases, more money. Brady Tolliver, the self-dubbed King of Carts, has five vending sites throughout the area, including one in front of City Hall at Market Street and Tucker Boulevard. Tolliver has no problem with the higher fees. They may weed out vendors who aren't serious enough, he said . . .

The owner of the popular food truck Dim and Den Sum says the city of Cleveland will put him out of business soon if it doesn't get legislation approved that will allow him to operate downtown at lunch time.

The underground market seeks to encourage food entrepreneurship by helping young vendors avoid roughly $1,000 a year in fees -- including those for health permits and liability insurance -- required by legitimate farmers markets. Here, where the food rave -- call it a crave -- was born, the market organizers sidestep city health inspections by operating as a private club, requiring that participants become "members" (free) and sign a disclaimer noting that food might not be prepared in a space that has been inspected.

Joey Scuotto, a commissioner with a restaurant down the street from City Hall, has said he wants an outright ban on gourmet food trucks citywide. "We have so many restaurants struggling to stay afloat in Sunrise," he told the Sun Sentinel. "I see it as a disadvantage to the businesses that the food trucks come in here." Talk of a ban has sparked an outcry from local food truck owners and onlookers irked by what they call an attempt to stamp out competition.

"The Miami City Commission is set to consider a proposal next month that would prohibit unauthorized people and groups from feeding the homeless downtown, an ordinance proponents say will cut down on litter and ensure the safety of the food the homeless do eat."

The state has a message for city Greenmarket vendors: Don't cut the cheese!

The state Agriculture Department is enforcing a ban on slicing cheese in the open air - and shoppers complain that the regulation means pre-packaged cheese, which defeats the purpose of buying fresh.

The Food Sharing event held by Orlando Food Not Bombs took place a City Hall yesterday evening. The FNB group, a few homeless individuals and several individuals from the Orlando Liberty Activist crew visited the City Council meeting earlier this week with great success. The result .. The City Of Orlando has agreed to let FNB share food on its steps, without a permit and without continued arrests, just so long as they don't share food in the park.

Why Is a Farmer Who Sells Extra Milk From His One Cow to Neighbors Being Sued By the State of Maine?

The lawsuit also challenges a 'local food and community self-governance' ordinance.
December 7, 2011 |

This is the first in a two-part series by the Center for Media and Democracy's Food Rights Network (FRN) about challenges to local food sovereignty across the United States. You can read the second one