The Sharing Garden Shows the Way to a Moneyless Food System
In Monroe, Oregon, the Sharing Garden started
and managed by Chris Burns and Llyn Peabody is the gift that keeps on
giving. Over the past few years, the garden's bounty has tripled thanks
to the support and hard work of "Sharegivers" (aka volunteers) who
donate various materials and actual labor three mornings a week.
And, in true Sharing Garden fashion, the harvest is distributed not
only to the volunteers, but also to the food bank next door, as well
as churches and other community members in need... all for free, as part
of what Burns calls "nature's economy." He points out that, "None of
the other lifeforms on the planet use money or currency of any kind.
There's a symbiotic relationship, an interdepency. So we're trying to
model that in the garden so that people understand they can give freely
without having to account for their giving, and knowing they will
receive what they need."
With the Sharing Garden, Burns and Peabody have established a circle
of sharing in their community. As a result, the couple now enjoys free
housing in a 1930s farmhouse owned by a volunteer. The garden, itself,
also enjoys rent-free status on its two-thirds of an acre site. The
total experience lands them smack-dab in the middle of the sharing
economy, and they excitedly encourage others to join them by taking some
baby steps.
Burns explains, "You can look for opportunities to give anonymously.
And they happen every day. Just going by somebody in the shopping mall
and giving them a nice smile... And you don't have to get credit for
that. It's this whole idea of giving to get -- getting credit for your
giving, getting recognized for your giving. You start there. The garden
is way down the road." Check out the video below about The Sharing
Garden courtesy of Peak Moment TV:
If this post resonates with you, please consider supporting Shareable. Watch the two-minute video below & donate to our crowdfunder.
Like everyone else planning on gardening this year, I am drooling over the many seed catalogs I've received the past couple of months. I made my list of the seeds I need and checked it twice :)
While waiting for those to come in, I have plenty of seed to get me started on this seasons plants.
We tried hydroponics for the first time last year and it worked out great for us.
We also do a lot of container gardening and a little traditional gardening in raised beds.
One thing I would really like to try this year is a planting style called "Square Foot Gardening".
If you have not heard of Square Foot Gardening (SFG) before then a good place to start for info would be Mel Bartholomew, the creator, website at melbartholowmew.com .
This is such a wonderful concept! With SFG you can grow 100% harvest with 50% of the costs, 20% of the space, use 10% of the water and 5% of the seeds and it takes only 2% of the work over traditional row gardening methods!
This is such a simple method that anyone can learn to do it and it will greatly help the food shortage situation we are facing.
In a nutshell, to get started with SFG all you have to do is build a box (3'x3' or 4'x4') with weedcloth on the bottom, fill it with soil and add a grid. Here is some info from Mel Bartholowmews site:
The 10 Basics of SFG
Click each of these points to learn more. Thanks to Cassie Aula, one
of our best certified instructors in Ohio, for the descriptions of the
basics.
No
more gardening in rows! What a waste of space! Always think in squares:
lay out 4 foot by 4 foot planting areas with 3′ wide aisles for easy
walkways between them.
If
you plan to have more than one garden box, separate them 3 feet to form
walkways. Aisles can be made from grass, brick, stone, mulch or any
other material that enhances your garden plan.
Don’t
dig up or use your native soils! Line the bottom of your box with a
good weed fabric and fill boxes with Mel’s special soil mix: 1/3 blended
compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.
On
top of each frame place a permanent grid that divides the box into one
foot squares. The grid is the unique feature that makes the whole
system work so well.
Since
you will NEVER walk on or depress the growing soil, don’t make the
frames any wider than 4 feet (2 feet, if only one side is
accessible). Any wider makes it too difficult to reach in to tend the
plants. Tend to plants regularly and trim dead leaves and branches with a
pair of scissors. Harvest with scissors, too, to protect the plant from
damage.
Depending
on the mature size of the plant, grow 1, 4, 9, or 16 equally
spaced plants per square foot. Choose fruits and veggies that make sense
for your family and for the intensive planting style of the Square Foot
Garden.
Plant
two or three seeds in each spot by making a shallow hole with your
finger. Cover, but do not pack the soil. After sprouting, save the
best one and snip off the others - thinning is eliminated. Seeds are
not wasted. Extra seeds can be stored cool and dry in your
refrigerator. Don’t over-plant. Plant only as much of any one crop as
you will use.
Water
the root area only using a cup from a sun-warmed bucket of
water. Water often, especially at first, and on very hot dry days. Warm
water helps the soil warm up in early and late season.
Harvest
continually and when a crop in one square is gone, add a handful of
homemade compost and plant a new different crop in that square.
That’s how simple the whole system is! Remember, you don’t need any
tools or fertilizer. Once your garden is built, there’s no work…and
best of all, no weeds! If you’re just getting started with Square Foot
Gardening, leave a comment below and let me know if this crash course
helped you understand the method better!
Here is a link to the SFG store for books, dvd's, tools and more squarefootgardening.com
and this is a quick overview video about Square Foot Gardening.
My challenge to everyone is to start a garden this year, if you live in an apartment or don't have a yard then plant things in containers and set them on your deck or balcony. If you have the space, grow extra food for someone in need. As well as utilizing extra hydroponics plants this year, I plan on doing a couple of extra square foot boxes for veggies to give away to people in need.
We can wipe out hunger! Along with providing much needed fresh produce we will also be helping people towards a healthier eating habits and life style.
