{"id":452623,"date":"2026-09-03T22:26:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/452623\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T22:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:26:16","slug":"california-man-slams-city-after-being-fined-for-growing-food-at-home-i-dont-trust-the-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/452623\/","title":{"rendered":"California man slams city after being fined for growing food at home: \u2018I don\u2019t trust the system\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unbe-leaf-able!<\/p>\n

A Southern California city is waging war against a green-thumbed taxpayer \u2014\u00a0slapping him with fines for planting a sumptuous, front-yard garden full of fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Michael Sherman of Chino was shocked when a $750 fine for “overgrown vegetation” showed up in his mailbox in April \u2014\u00a0followed by a $500 fine in August.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael Sherman of Chino, California is furious at local government for interfering with his home-grown garden.<\/p>\n

Now, the landscape contractor says he faces still another $500 fine this month \u2014\u00a0if he does not quickly comply with the city’s seemingly-draconian order to remove the alleged eyesore.<\/p>\n

“People should be able to grow what they want on their lawn as long as it doesn’t affect directly any other neighbor or create a real health and safety problem,” Sherman, 49, told the California Post.<\/p>\n

Sherman started growing produce in his front lawn in 2019, he said \u2014\u00a0after finding himself concerned over chatter he’d been hearing about potential food shortages.<\/p>\n

Today, his impressive yard yields crops of sweet potatoes, squash, ginger, turmeric, ginger, horseradish, bananas, sugar cane, plums peaches blueberries, passion fruit, comfrey, mullen \u2014\u00a0and even dandelions “on purpose,” he said, touting their medicinal qualities.<\/p>\n

Despite the city clampdown, Sherman insists his neighbors support him \u2014 all but one, whom he suspects was behind the initial complaint that led to the citations.<\/p>\n

\"Sherman<\/p>\n

Sherman started growing the garden in 2019 following food shortage concerns.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The landscape contractor’s front yard garden boasts a wide array of fruits, vegetables, and other plants which he uses to feed his family. Courtesy of Michael Sherman<\/p>\n

“I’ve never met a neighbor in person that doesn’t like my yard besides my neighbor right next to me,” said Sherman. “Even my other neighbor on the opposite side, on the south side, he likes it. He thinks it’s great.<\/p>\n

But another neighbor told CBS LA<\/a> that they have concerns about the garden.<\/p>\n

“I’m worried about rodents,” Monica Siepert told CBS LA. “They’re not always trimmed. \u2026 It’s not always kept up.”<\/p>\n

Sherman says he’s had issues with rats on his lot in past \u2014\u00a0but not for years.<\/p>\n

“It doesn’t matter what your landscape looks like. You don’t even have to have a landscape. There’s still an issue, just by having dirt with a house on it. You’re going to have a conditions that could be a rat problem,” says Sherman.<\/p>\n

\"Sherman<\/p>\n

Sherman was fined $750 in April, and $500 last month for overgrown vegetation. Courtesy of Michael Sherman<\/p>\n

The prolific planter says he’s copped to many of the city’s demands, but the fines still come.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know what the city wants. I think the city code enforcement needs an education about how these type of plants grow. They’re annual plants, squash and all those are annuals. So they grow, bloom, and die within like under a year,” Sherman says.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

One neighbor told CBS LA they are concerned about the property attracting rats.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael Sherman has cultivated a lush food garden in the front of his house in Chino. The City of Chino has declared the garden a nuisance and mandated that he cut back his edible landscape.<\/p>\n

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“They didn’t have a problem with them before, but now they’ve grown into what they’re supposed to be, and they’re having a problem with them. And I don’t even know if it’s those plants they’re having a problem with because they won’t tell me what what plants are the offending ones.”<\/p>\n

A Chino city spokesperson told CBS LA that while progress has been made on the garden, the violations will continue until Sherman removes or trims remaining overgrown vegetation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The California Post reached out to the city of Chino for further comment.<\/p>\n

“I don’t trust the food system, I want clean vegetables that I know what has or has not been sprayed on it,” says Sherman.<\/p>\n

“I want a safe food supply for my family as much as possible. I understand I live in a small lot, and its not possible to live 100% off of that. But I can get as close as I can.”<\/p>\n