Garden sharing orurban horticulture sharing is alocal food andurban farming arrangement where alandowner allows a gardener access to land, typically a front or backyard, in order to grow food.
This may be an informal, one-to-one relationship, but numerous Web-based projects exist to facilitate matchmaking. In some cases, garden sharing projects are launched as a way to shortencommunity garden waiting lists that are common in many cities.[1][2]
Garden sharing arrangements take two main forms. The simplest is an agreement between two parties: one supplies the land, the other supplies the labour, and the proceeds are shared. In larger collaborations, groups, often neighbours, share garden spaces, labour and the harvest.[3]
The specifics addressed by a garden sharing agreement are potentially numerous, and the contract itself may be simple or exhaustive. Issues to be considered include terms of access, acceptable behavior, and who supplies what as far as gardening equipment and supplies. At one end of the scale, a verbal arrangement may be all that is expected.[4] However, garden sharing organisations often suggest a written agreement and supply samplecontracts.[5][6][7] Organisers may also interview participants before suggesting a match.[8]
The Web is frequently used as a platform for initiating garden sharing arrangements. Websites connecting landowners and growers are generally free and non-commercial. Websites are instituted by a variety of parties, including private individuals, government agencies, and non-profit groups.[citation needed]
A number of local, regional and national programs exist across the U.S. and Canada, including:
In the UK, Landshare is a high-profile national garden sharing project in England, spearheaded bycelebrity chef and TV personalityHugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, in conjunction with public-service broadcasterChannel 4.[11] 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. Although this is a number that have registered since 2009 when the social enterprise was first publicized widely, since then its activity has decreased.[12][13] Scotland, has only one project, a charity calledEdinburgh Garden Partners which has over 60 gardens throughout the city shared by volunteers. The charity aims to promote locally grown food and the skills of doing so with supportingolder and disabled people who can no longer manage their garden.[citation needed]LendandTend Has been running since 2014. It offers a service to 'Patch-Match' garden Lenders who may not be able to manage their garden, with garden Tenders, people who wish to have garden space. Registration is free and some services to boost Lender or Tender visibility are payable. 50% of Lend and Tend profits are invested back in to the communities where garden-sharing activity is based.
In France, Prêter son jardin ("Garden lending") is a garden sharing web site started by a journalist in 2010.[14]
Garden sharing projects are also incorporated into largersustainability schemes. Transition Town Totnes (Totnes, England)[15][16][17] and Transition Timaru (Timaru, NZ)[18] have instituted garden sharing projects as part of theirTransition Towns efforts to prepare communities on a local level for theeffects of climate change andpeak oil.[citation needed]