Free: Sharing Backyards links people with unused space to those looking for a place to grow food

June 2, 12:31 PMPhiladelphia Home Gardening ExaminerMelissa Miles

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Sharingbackyards.com

Sharing Backyards links people with unused yard space to those looking for a place to grow food.Have a garden to share it?  Looking for a space to garden? Sharingbackyards.com is for you! 

Urban gardening space can be tough to come by, despite the fact that most urban areas are repleat with yards, lawns, and backyards that could be used for growing food (maybe even for producing an income - read my article on SPIN Gardening).  The best part:  sharingbackyards.com offers to match those with unused growing space with would-be urban gardeners free of charge!  The concept is similar to the 'Allotment' concept - popular in the U.K - in which a few (or up to several hundreds of land parcels), publicly or privately owned, are assigned to individuals or families but (unlike a community garden) the parcels are cultivated individually.

From the Sharing Backyards website:

It's FREE and EASY, and it will benefit your city and its peoples. Boost your land available for organic urban agriculture, lower waiting lists for community garden plots, decrease the amount of food needing to be shipped across the country, help people lower their food costs, and increase your city's vibrancy and resiliency to change.

Considerations for Sharing your Backyard Garden:
There are no restrictions on how you might choose to share your space - however there are a number of issues that you might want to consider when making arrangements to share your gardening space with another member of your community.

Time Considerations

• How many hours per week will the garden space be available?
• On which days of the week?
• What time(s) of the day?

Tool Considerations

• Do you have tools to share?
• Where will they be stored?

Soil Considerations

• Is there enough soil?
• Who will pay for soil amendments?
• What types of amendments or additives are acceptable?

Seeds / Transplants

• Who will provide the seeds and/or transplants?
• How will decisions be made about what is grown?

Water Considerations

• Can the gardener use the hose and water?
• Who does the watering?
• When?

Harvest Considerations

• Who will harvest the food?
• How will the harvest be distributed?

Privacy and Security Considerations

• Who can enter the garden? (children, partners, friends, pets)
• What space can be used? (shed, basement, bathroom)
• What about locks and gates?
  
• Emergency contact numbers?
  
  
  
  For more info:
  
  Sharing Backyards
  
  Recession gardening
  
  Eating locally