Shared Earth

Fact:  Residential American yards add up to some 4.5 million acres—enough to grow 43.5 million tons of food.

So, how do you take that information and RUN with it?

photo by Brian Robert Marshall via Wikimedia Commons

You launch a website that pairs people who want to garden or farm with people who have land or tools to share …

That was the goal of food advocates at Sustainable America when they bought and buoyed an existing site called Shared Earth in 2014.

Overhauled and backed by Sustainable America, Shared Earth became a non-profit corporation designed to manage the largest community garden in the world.

“We are comprised entirely of volunteers whose passion, knowledge, and dedication are based on our belief that we can change the way land is used and food is grown—one garden at a time,” explains the Shared Earth Team. “Not only will you enjoy fresh, local food, you will make a difference in our food system, create communities, and raise awareness around local food and health.”

Here’s a short video about how it works:

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    This reminds me of what people did in WWII with their Victory Gardens to feed their families, neighbors and help towards making more food locally so that more could be used to feed the soldiers. It was also very prevalent and absolutely essential in England as they area small island and Hitler had effectively cut them off from many supplies. Today, we have forgotten how effective this was to families and communities and worthy of bringing it back.

  2. calle says:

    Our small town has a community garden started by a young pastor. It is such a shining example of growth and partnership.
    A local wealthy family had a small strip of land that could not be built on, so it was a good move by all.
    It is right next to a busy motor lodge, so it is seen by hundreds of visitors a year.
    Other cities and friends have shared garden spots.
    My dream is for cities to allow anyone who wants to garden their front yards the freedom to do that.
    I had one, 64 garden boxes, yard art, table and chairs and fountains. But too many neighbors reported me all the time.
    Day cares came by to show children how food was grown, people on the way to a neighbors house for a party would stop and compliment me, but others just gave me trouble.

    We waste good productive land, to mow, weed, pour chemicals on, and it is a sin.
    I don’t believe any other nation is so wasteful.

    I have not one blade of grass in my yard. All boxes of flowers, or food. Of course this is a small town, but I do not want to mow, or use chemicals.

    Call me crazy.
    Calle

  3. Krista says:

    I really like this idea! I was just talking the other day about how much more I want to grow in my garden but I simply just don’t have the room. This would allow me to grow more. My old neighborhood had a neighborhood garden that was suppose to be run by the Boy Scouts. When I drive by it now it’s completely run over by weeds and hasn’t been taken care of for quite some time. It makes me sad. I really hope this idea takes off and has excellent results.

  4. lisa von saunder says:

    spectacular idea- we waste so much space and worse yet put so many awful chemicals on our lawns. better yet to grow food !!

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