MOORHEAD

Apartment Garden - Check directly with your landlord or property management company if this is allowed, where it is allowed, and what rules apply. 

Backyard Bees - Prohibited. 

Backyard Chickens - Prohibited. 

Boulevard Garden - Plantings are permitted in boulevards with an approved permit. The City has to review planting permits because there are utilities and public trees in boulevards that need to be considered and plantings that get to be too tall can create pedestrian and vehicular site distance issues at corners and driveway intersections. View the cities terms and conditions for Boulevard gardens here. 

Compost Food Waste - Yes, composting of food waste is allowed with conditions. Details in Section 3-4-10 of City Code.

Composting, for purposes of this section, is any aboveground microbial process that converts plant materials to organic soil amendment or mulch. Composting is permitted in residential zoned districts, provided the following regulations are complied with: 1) Composting shall be conducted within an enclosed container not exceeding two hundred fifty (250) cubic feet and four feet (4') in height. The container shall be of durable material, such as wood, plastic, fiberglass or metal fencing material. 2. The compost container shall be located in the rear yard and placed no closer than twenty feet (20') to any habitable building and twenty feet (20') from the street on a corner lot. 3. A compost area may consist of, but is not limited to, yard waste, fruit or vegetable waste, garden waste, eggshells, coffee grounds, soil, fertilizer, flowers, or small shrub trimmings or twigs (1/4 inch diameter maximum) generated from the site on which the compost site is located. However, in no case are the following materials permitted in compost areas: meat, bones, grease, whole eggs, dairy products, and human or pet feces. 4. A compost area must not be established or maintained in a manner such that it creates a nuisance to adjacent properties. As part of regular maintenance, the compost area must periodically be mixed to promote efficient biological deterioration. The City is authorized to maintain a composting site on City-owned property for the purpose of complying with the provisions of State law that provide that no yard waste may be disposed of in landfills. (Ord. 96-18, 10-21-1996)

Home Garden - Home gardens are allowed, however, there may be covenants administered by homeowner’s associations (HOAs) that apply depending on where your residence is located. To check if your house is part of an HOA, contact the Clay County Recorder, as it should be on your house’s deed. Contact Gopher One State to locate utilities prior to digging and cable lines by calling 811 or visiting the website.

Pollinator Garden or Natural Lawn - Permitted. If your proposed plantings are either 1.) less than 30% of your yard or 2.) less than 250 contiguous square feet (whichever is less) - no permit is required. If your proposed plantings are more than 30% of your yard or more than 250 square feet in area - a Natural Lawn Application is required.  For details on this application process, contact the Neighborhood Services Office. 

Structures (Raised-beds, rain barrels, and temporary or permanent greenhouses) - Raised beds and greenhouses: allowed, but may require a permit depending on the type of structure. Building permits are required for any accessory building over 200 square feet.  Regardless of size and if a permit is required, zoning regulations apply. Visit the City of Moorhead website for further details.