Feb 172015
 

Sunflower1Perhaps one of the most significant barriers to starting your own yardfarm is the lack of space or viable land to garden on. Fortunately, there are organizations dedicated to connecting gardeners who need land with individuals who have land to spare. Sharing Backyards, Shared Earth, and Yardsharing.org are three groups who have a mission to do just that.

The idea is simple. You are able to search in your area for people willing to share their yards (small and large) in order for you to have a place to grow your plants. On both websites, you can specify whether you are looking for a place to garden or you are looking for someone to garden on your land. On Shared Earth you can create a profile for yourself if you are a gardener and include what you would like to plant, how many years of experience you have, and whether you have your own tools or not. You can also create a profile if you have land you are willing to share with information on the size, how much work needs to be done to make it garden-ready, and details about when gardeners may access your land. The Sharing Backyards site has a similar setup, but you do not have to create a profile. You may reach out to the land-sharer or gardener directly through a messaging system on the website.

If you are a more ambitious yardfarmer, you can use the Sharing Backyards website to take your yardfarming one step further to benefit your entire community. There is an option to start and oversee a Yard Sharing Program in your neighborhood, city, county, or area of your choice with the support of Sharing Backyards’ technology, volunteers, and staff.

The Shared Earth and Sharing Backyards yard exchanges have options for everyone. Whether you are looking for a small plot of land, several acres, or wanting to start a community program there is a perfect fit for you. Search for available land in your area and start growing!

VegGarden1

Basil Garden (Photo Credit: heidimaria)

 February 17, 2015  Posted by  Tagged with:

  2 Responses to “No Land? No Problem. That’s what yard exchanges are for!”

  1. […] Tools to find a tool library in your area. Also, be sure to check out our previous blog post on yardsharing if you don’t have your own land to […]

  2. […] started in the local food movement by hosting events that allow neighbors to share tools, seeds, land and skills with each other. They also advocate for communities that want to have control over where […]

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