Urban Agriculture, Micro-farms & Gardens

Garden Sharing and Seed Swapping

What is Garden Sharing & Urban Horticulture Sharing?

A local food and urban farming arrangement where a landowner allows a gardener access to land, typically a front or back yard, in order to grow food.

Garden sharing projects are launched as a way to shorten community garden waiting lists that are common in many cities.

Examples of Garden Sharing Projects

Singapore

Community in Bloom in the Heartlands - a collaboration between HDB, NParks, and Residents’ Committees (RCs), which aims to promote greening and strengthen community bonding through gardening. Besides actively setting aside plots in the precincts for community gardening, HDB also works with the RCs and NParks in the setting up and growing of community gardens.

International

Hyperlocavore.com - a free U.S.-based international service that matches garden owners with gardeners, and facilitates the set-up of neighbourhood produce exchanges and other sharing projects.

North America

Yardsharing.org (Portland, Oregon) - A free online service devoted to connecting renters with landowners, with the goal of creating food for all.
SharingBackyards.com (Victoria, British Columbia) - run by a sustainability NPO in 2006 by a volunteer at a community garden—the free programme is now in over 20 cities across North America.
UrbanGardenShare.org (Seattle, Washington) - matching garden owners with gardeners as a collaboration between an individual and a local sustainability group covers a number of cities in several states.
SharedEarth.com - Website that connects people who have land, with people who want to garden or farm.

Europe

Landshare - high-profile national garden sharing project. Growers, landowners and volunteers can, at no charge, register their interest in participating in a share in their area. There are over 40,000 members.
Edinburgh Garden Partners - over 60 gardens throughout the city shared by volunteers. The charity aims to promote locally grown food and the skills of doing so with supporting older and disabled people who can no longer manage their garden.
Prêter son jardin ("Garden lending") - garden sharing web site started by a journalist in 2010.

Others

Transition Towns (Transition Town Totnes (Totnes, England) and Transition Timaru (Timaru, NZ) - instituted garden sharing projects to prepare communities on a local level for the effects of climate change and peak oil.

What is Seed Swapping?

Seed swaps are events where gardeners meet to exchange seeds.

Swapping can be arranged online or by mail.

This is due to increased interest in organic gardening and heritage or heirloom plant varietals and also reflects gardeners' interest in "unusual or particular varieties of flowers and vegetables".

Some events are organized as part of an educational effort, where visitors are taught gardening and growing skills and how to preserve an area's cultural heritage and biodiversity.

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