Here in Monroe and Alpine, Oregon, we have
created a solution that is helping people learn about gardening, grow
their own food and lift the burden on our local food-bank to provide for
its ever increasing customers. We call it a “Sharing Garden”.
How it Works: Most people are
familiar with the typical model of community gardening: multiple,
separate plots, rented by the gardeners in which each person grows and
harvests their own produce. In a Sharing Garden, the crops are grown collectively. The funds, materials, water and use of the lands have been donated, and participants come together one to three times a week to grow the food. Everyone shares in the
harvest, the joys of learning to grow food together, and a genuine
sense of community through joining in this meaningful activity. The extensive surplus is donated to people in
need (through food banks and other charities.) No one is ever
charged money for the food that is grown. This model is
easily replicated anywhere there are vacant lots and people with enough
gardening experience to oversee the project and does not require a large
input of money to make it work.
Harvest Totals: In 2010 we were able to
grow and give away over 3,500 pounds of food at a market-value of about
$9,950. In 2011 we grew over 4,600 pounds at a local market-value of
about $14,500. All of the harvest was shared amongst volunteers, our
local food bank, the senior lunch program in Monroe and a local
gleaner's group.
Benefits of a “Sharing Garden”
There are many benefits to growing food in the sharing model. You can:
Grow the maximum amount of food: Sharing Gardens use
the garden space more efficiently. There are fewer pathways between
garden rows and all of the same kind of plants can be grown together.
Water more efficiently: Plants can be grouped together with similar watering requirements.
Manage weeds and pests more easily:
In a typical community garden setting, herbicide or pesticide applications
in one plot can lead to a mass exodus of the offending bugs or weeds
into adjacent plots. This can lead to a mini “arms race” between garden
plots to bolster plants against pests. In a Sharing Garden, if pests/weeds appear, they can be managed selectively without the need for ever-accelerating methods of eradication.
Save pure seeds: Many plants will cross with their neighbors, or hybridize.
This means that, in a typical community garden neighboring gardeners
would need to coordinate so their seed-stock doesn't cross with
neighbors. In a Sharing Garden, you
can plan your crops to keep strains from crossing and save enough
seed to last for a few years till you get around to growing that
particular variety again.
Build community:
Though some community gardens have regular work parties and social
gatherings, the emphasis is on each gardener doing his own thing. In a
Sharing Garden, the focus is on cooperation and sharing a common goal. Having a meaningful shared purpose builds great camaraderie.
Share knowledge: Sharing Gardens become a place where gardeners can share their experience with each other. We garden organically, using no
chemical pesticides or herbicides. We rely on heavy mulching and fertilizer
derived from compost and other natural, local materials. We also have an extensive seed-saving program. Participants are also learning about food preservation, gleaning and other ways of increasing local food security.
Live more lightly on the planet: An additional benefit of this style of gardening is that we use salvaged material whenever possible. This keeps
these materials out of burn-piles and the land-fill while providing new
life for tools, leaves, grass clippings and building supplies. By
encouraging people to share their surplus we build a tangible sense of
community and networks of relationship that can be drawn from in times
of crisis.
Help local wildlife: Each of our gardens is designed to
create habitat for local beneficial wildlife as we believe it is important to
"share" the earth beyond our human family.
To learn more about Alpine and Monroe's Sharing Gardens go to: Link
To see our site with extensive info on organic gardening, seed-saving and starting your own Sharing Garden, go to: Link
To learn more about our vision for community based on the principles of radical sharing, go to: Link
To watch a video interview with the founders of the the Sharing Gardens, go to: Link
