Thread by @TheCounter

#THREAD - Pandemic restrictions have led to a spike in gardening, with people turning to their backyards for entertainment, comfort, and a sustainable source of food. But for those without green thumbs, there’s another option: yard sharing. thecounter.org/grassroots-gro…

The idea is to partner people who have unused yard space with those who have the technical know-how to turn it into an edible garden. The benefits include a healthier ecosystem, fostering community relationships, and of course, freshly grown food.

Yard sharing has proved popular in cities across North America, including Denver, New York City, Orlando, and Toronto, facilitated by community organizations like @fleetfarming and @Tourbangrowers.

“I thought, you know, I can’t imagine people wanting to give up space in their home to some complete stranger, but the response was pretty phenomenal,” said @TOurbangrowers coordinator Rhonda Teitel-Payne of her organization’s yard sharing program.

In Los Angeles, CropSwap LA received a $50,000 grant this summer to start a program in South Los Angeles. Founder Jamiah Hargins says he created a “local nutrient transfer” yard sharing model.

It works like this: When the crops are harvested, they’ll be sold and donated primarily in low-income zip codes, with a smaller percent sold in higher-income areas. Landowners will get a portion of the final profit.

The concept goes against advice Hargins received to “sell to the rich folks and eat the extras in poor areas.” That mindset points to one of the key problems with urban agriculture programs, according to experts–they can fail to support the communities they’re actually in.

For example, research has shown that community gardens can be a harbinger of gentrification, driving up property values and potentially pricing out the residents they were set up to serve.

Programs like CropSwap LA address this by grounding the majority of the benefits within communities that need them most.

Experts do have some concerns about the potential of yard sharing, though, which requires an ongoing commitment, partnership, and funding.

Hargins’ CropSwap LA is currently working on its first installation, which he hopes can become a “billboard” for the promise he sees in yard sharing. Read the full story here: thecounter.org/grassroots-gro…