Do you know of any examples of people squatting on unused land for agricultural purposes?

Question

People occupy abandoned or unoccupied spaces or buildings as accommodation.

Have you ever heard of examples of people utilising abandoned land for an agricultural purpose such as growing vegetables or growing crops of reed/willow for thatching/wicker.

I realise that rural sites are rarely abandoned but surely this squaticulture has occurred in urban areas.

I like the term vegetable squats. You see? Like vegetable plots.

Answer 1

There is a group that go at night to plant up urban areas.

I heard of them within this month, but I am not sure whether they label themselves.

Freegans use fruit from urban area that have dropped from say apple trees in parks.

I have planted food perennial plants in urban and rural areas that are sheltered from sight and I have heard of some using places to plant "weed" (for pain relief), in sheltered areas facing south against walls in secretive public rural areas, such as quiet back roads.

p.s.  I know that there is still land that is not claimed in the UK and that if you claim it and no one else puts in a claim that it becomes yours within a set time.  This is also for houses unoccupied etc. but again I do not know all the details.  I did however, see a book on Amazon about it once, but here is a link about the same;

http://www.claimuklandandproperty.com/

Answer 2

It is a common occurrence in Southern California.  Often rugged canyon lands are occupied by communities of illegal migrant workers who grow their own vegetables, citrus for their own use and to sell.  They also do it on acres of land to grow a cash crop, mary jane, often setting up Roadside extravagant irrigation systems.  In Los Angeles, a squatting community set up in a landmark building, the Brown Derby restaurant that had been abandoned.  It happens a lot in LA and when discovered, usually makes the news.  Roadside harvesting is also very common in Southern California where people collect citrus and avocado that fall to the ground and either consume it themselves or resell it.  If the fruit falls on public ground it may be harvested, but not if it lands on the farmer's property.

Answer 3

its called gorilla gardening, where people go out at night and plant gardens on public areas to make them better.

Answer 4

Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

Answer 5

last year in the daily telegraph,there was a report that "travellers" bought land near mps estate and said it was for aggricultural use, over the weekend the built a 6ft fence all round the land, dug drainage tracks and plumed water in to the site, a report interviewed the "traveller" and asked if they werent scared of being arrested or moved on, he replied no, i know that it will take years of legal battling to move them on.

it is still to this dat used as a travellers housing estate sort of speak. hope this helps.