City Guides

Urban Agriculture Resources

Have questions about composting, backyard chickens, or growing food in Grand Rapids? This guide contains resources on composting regulations and permits for greenhouses and backyard animals.

 

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Give us a call at 311 or 616-456-3000 and we’ll help answer your question.

Learn about the Urban Agriculture Committee

Select a topic you want to learn about:

Backyard Composting

chicken icon

Backyard Chicken Permits

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Backyard Bee Permits

Community Gardens

Building a Greenhouse

The Urban Agriculture Committee

 

 

Composting in your backyard

Compost is broken down organic material that is used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer for plants. It is considered “gardener’s gold” because of the many benefits it provides for plants and soil. Mixing in compost with garden dirt will improve air flow, water retention, and provide essential nutrients for the plants you grow!

You can create your compost on residential properties if a few simple rules are followed:

  • Feedstock materials must be placed in a fully enclosed, rodent-proof, compost bin(s) 
  • The bin(s) must be tightly covered, except when depositing and removing materials
  • The bin(s) must be placed in the rear yard only, not the front or side yards
  • The maximum size of the compost bin(s) is 64 cubic feet per property

Using the "pile" method or having exposed materials is not allowed. These materials are not allowed in construction of receptacles:

  • burlap
  • tarps
  • vehicle tires
  • wire mesh
  • chicken wire
  • flexible fencing

Outdoor compost bins are available online and at local home improvement stores.

You can read the full ordinance on composting HERE.

 

 

Compost 101

Cared-for compost should smell similar to fresh garden soil - not rotten food. Follow these wise practices to create a healthy soil amendment.

Close up of food scraps including egg shells, corn husks, onion skins, fruit peels, and leaves.

Acceptable Materials

Adding the wrong materials to your compost pile will attract animals or create bad odors. To prevent this, only the following materials should be added to your backyard compost receptacle:

  • Fruit and vegetable peelings, cores, stems, trimmings
  • Leaves (shredded if possible)
  • Egg shells (crushed if possible)
  • Coffee grounds
  • Paper coffee filters
  • Paper napkins without chemicals
  • Tea leaves/bags without staples
  • Spent flowers and garden clippings
  • Houseplant clippings
  • Young weeds without seeds
Items taken out a compost bin including a knife, plastic coffee filters, and foil wrappers.

Unacceptable Materials

The following items should NOT be placed in your compost bin:

  • Lawn waste
  • Cooked foods, leftovers, or spoiled food
  • Grease, oils, fats
  • Meat, fish, bones
  • Dairy products
  • Breads
  • Domestic animal waste
  • Animal litter (cats, rodents, small animals) 
  • Diseased plants
  • Invasive weeds
  • Weeds with seeds
  • Medical waste
  • Chemical cleaning wipes
  • Ash
  • Dryer lint
  • Treated wood
  • Non-organic materials:
    • Glass, metal, or plastic
    • Rocks, concrete, or asphalt
    • Cement, ceramic or brick
The side of an outdoor compost bin is removed to show alternating layers of brown and green materials.

Controlling Odors

Having the correct balance of “green” (fresh grass clippings, fruit/vegetable peelings, etc.) and “brown” (dry leaves/plants) materials is important for decomposition and odor control. A cared-for compost bin will smell like fresh garden soil and not rotting food. 

The green materials have a high nitrogen content that causes the mixture to heat up and break down more quickly. The brown materials soak up the water from the green materials and add space for air to prevent foul odors.

A ratio of 1/3 green to 2/3 brown is a good mix, but you can add more brown material, as needed, to keep your compost fresh.

Backyard Chickens

You can have chickens on your residential property, but they need a permit. Here are some of the rules you need to follow if you have a permit:

  • Roosters are prohibited

  • No more than six chickens

  • Chickens must live in the backyard

  • Chickens must be in a fenced-in coop

  • Chicken feed should be in rodent proof container

  • No butchering of chickens on the property

Click on a section to expand and learn more:

Coop and Yard Requirements

Your property must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a chicken permit:

  • Be at least 3,800 square feet (0.087 acres) in area
  • Not include more than 2 dwelling units

 Chickens must be kept in a fenced-in coop or chicken house that is:

  • Located in the rear yard of the property 
  • Uses less than 50% of the of the rear yard
  • Coop must be under 8 feet tall
  • Coop must be less than 6 square feet per chicken
  • Only one coop for keeping chickens
  • Coop and yard must be 10 feet away from all property lines

You can look up your property size on the City Assessors Property Search. Once you find your property, scroll down to the Land Information section. You'll find the total acres listed. If you can't find your property size, give us a call at the number listed in the Contact Us section. We'll look it up for you.

Number of Chickens

The total number of chickens allowed is dependent on your property size:

  • No more than four (4) chickens are allowed to be kept on a single-family or two-family lots 3,800 to 5,000 square feet
  • No more than six (6) chickens are allowed to be kept on a single-family or two-family lots 5,000 square feet or larger

Chicken feed must be in rodent resistant and weatherproof containers. The person keeping the chickens shall abide by all health and safety standards of the City's Property Maintenance Code.

Chickens may not be butchered, slaughtered, or otherwise killed, for any reason or any purpose, on any real property on which chickens may be kept pursuant to this ordinance.

Roosters are prohibited, regardless of the age or maturity of the bird.

If you are applying for a Backyard Chicken permit, check with your adjacent neighbors before submitting your application. Share your reasons for wanting chickens and your plans to minimize noise, odor, and disturbance. If any of your neighbors object, the City can't issue you a Backyard Chicken Permit.

Keep in mind that together, you and your neighbors form a strong community. Working together to proactively avoid issues or to resolve an issue can create a stronger block & neighborhood.

Do you want to have chickens in your backyard?

You can apply for a backyard chicken permit if your property meets certain size requirements

Backyard Chicken Permit

Backyard Bees

You can keep bees within city limits as long as they are contained in a hive or box and your property is large enough to follow requirements of where hives can be located.

Click on a section to expand and learn more:

  • More than 150 feet from any residence, hospital, medical facility, school, church, office building, store, hotel, apartment house, rooming house or any place of habitation
  • At least 150 feet from the edge of the beekeeper’s own lot or property line

Any person raising bees within the City needs to have a hedge, shrubbery, or solid fencing around each box or hive that is at least six (6) feet tall. We require this so that bees have a high flight path above the head of an average human being when exiting and entering their hives.

Do you want to keep bees in your backyard?

You can read the full ordinance on beekeeping HERE.

Backyard Bee Permit

Community Gardens

You can view a map of Grand Rapids community gardens, backyard chickens and bees here:

Growing in Front Yards & Parkways

You can grow native or edible plants in your front yard as long as guidelines are followed to prevent blocking clear vision areas around sidewalks and driveways. It is important to maintain clear vision areas in specific locations for the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.

Click on a section to expand and learn more:

A clear vision area is typically the triangular area at the intersection of two streets, or a street and a driveway. 

Street Corners. For streets, it is measured as twenty (20) feet along each lot line starting at the intersection of the lot lines, and connected by a straight line to form a triangular area.

Driveways. For driveways, it is measured as ten (10) feet along the lot line and the driveway starting at the intersection of the lot line and the closest edge of the driveway, and connected by a straight line to form a triangular area.

Any planted vegetation in these areas should be less than 30 inches to maintain clear sight lines.

You can have arbors, trellises, pergolas and similar garden structures in your front yard as long as:

  • Structures comply with clear vision requirements
  • Structures are at least three (3) feet from front and side lot lines
  • Structures are shorter than six (6) feet tall

Growing in the parkway or right-of way (the area between the sidewalk and the street curb) is allowed as long as the guidelines above are followed to keep clear vision areas around sidewalks and driveways.

Any planted vegetation in these areas should be less than 30 inches to maintain clear sight lines. Keep in mind that you should keep a ten (10) foot radius around fire hydrants and utility poles.

No structures (arbors, trellises, etc.) are allowed in the parkway / right of way.

Trees in the parkway / right of way are planted and maintained by the City.

Click here for tips on how to care for your street tree.

 

Would you like to plant a tree in a parkway or public space?

Click here to request a tree planting.

Greenhouses

Greenhouses are considered an accessory structure in the City of Grand Rapids zoning code. They are allowed with a permit on residential property if a few simple rules are followed:

Click on a section to expand and learn more:

Greenhouses must be located in the side yard or rear yard.

Materials must be durable and long-lasting. The structure cannot be built with tubes, canvas, plastic film, or similar exterior materials.

A zoning permit is required for all accessory structures. You can find this permit on the Planning Department page under "Forms and Applications."

Click here to learn more about Zoning FAQs for Accessory Structures.

Have questions on building or locating a greenhouse on your residential property? Contact our Development Center.

Greenhouse Permit

Yard Waste

Yard waste is illegal to throw away in Michigan. Click on a section to expand and learn more about properly disposing of yard waste in Grand Rapids.

Yard Waste includes:

  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves
  • Brush
  • Twigs (less than two inches in diameter)
  • Garden Plants

Yard Waste does not include:

  • Sod
  • Dirt
  • Stones
  • Broken concrete
  • Trees
  • Tree limbs
  • Logs
  • Railroad Tires
  • Stumps
  • Animal feces and dead animals

Click on a section to expand and learn more:

Your curbside yard waste collection is the same day as your regular waste collection. Yard waste is collected between early April through mid - December.  We offer several options for curbside collection.  

Yard Waste Cart – The cart is $30 to order. Each time you would like your cart emptied, attach a yellow Yard Waste Tag to the cart. Each tag is $6.50.

Yard Waste Paper Bag – You can use a yard waste paper bag for leaves, grass clippings and small twigs. Bags are $2.75 each or come in packs of 5 for $13.75. Items in the yard waste paper bag can't weigh more than 30 pounds.

Yard Waste Bulk Tag – You can use a purple yard waste bulk tag for bundles of larger twigs or branches. You may also attach this tag to a non-city paper yard waste bag.  These tags cost $3.75 each. Bundled branches and twigs shouldn’t be more than 4 feet long or 2 inches in diameter.

You can buy City yard waste cart tags, paper bags, and purple bulk tags at City Hall. You can also buy them at select supermarkets. For a complete list of sellers near you, call 311 or 616-456-3000. 

The City of Grand Rapids offers a drop-off site for residential yard waste. You can drop-off leaves, brush, and tree branches at 2001 Butterworth SW. April through mid-December, this site is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is offered to Grand Rapids residents only, so bring ID for proof of residence.

Yard waste must be loose or in a paper bag. Plastic bags are not allowed.

Not sure if your yard waste is eligible for drop off? Call 311 or 616-456-3000 to make sure.

Request Yard Waste Services

Do you have yards waste needs? Click below to request yard waste services:

Request Yard Waste Services