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View Full Version : Land Sharing - Tapping into wasted spaces


MediaHound
01-14-2009, 09:41 AM
I subscribe to the newsletter from TrendCentral, they sent this article to me a couple of days ago. I thought it would be of interest to many here, so here you go:

Trend Central - Article (http://www.trendcentral.com/WebApps/App/SnapShots/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7521)

http://www.trendcentral.com/Admin/uploads/JAN09/1-12-09-landshare.jpg

LAND SHARING
Tapping into wasted spaces


Whether you're talking about money, goods or even space, these days "waste" has become a bit of a dirty word. Today, consumers are looking for positive ways to avoid it. They're beautifying unused or neglected public spaces with guerilla gardening (http://www.trendcentral.com/WebApps/App/SnapShots/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7356); they're sharing their pantry's overstock and garden surplus by food swapping (http://www.trendcentral.com/WebApps/App/SnapShots/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7450), and they're taking advantage of bountiful harvests found on public and private property with voluntary harvesting (http://www.trendcentral.com/WebApps/App/SnapShots/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7510). With waste top of mind, the latest waste elimination challenge focuses on the garden.

Similar to voluntary harvesting, land sharing focuses on utilizing un- or underused land to grow locally produced food. While there's recently been significant press coverage of the trend, it's still a relatively new idea to the mainstream public. Ventures such as the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>'s Adopt-A-Garden (http://www.footprint-trust.co.uk/adoptgarden.html) and LandShare (http://landshare.channel4.com/), <st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city>'s Sharing Backyards (http://www.sharingbackyards.com/) (also slowly growing in US cities), and San Francisco's MyFarm (http://myfarmsf.com/) provide online forums in which consumers can connect to offer and request information about unused gardening spaces in their areas. As the focus on sustainable, local, and socially and environmentally conscious initiatives grows stronger, we expect land sharing programs to become even more common in the near future.

lt_eggbeater
01-14-2009, 10:50 AM
I've got 40 acres mostly going to waste up in snowflake az. Little cold for bananas but could be used for farming. Not exactly near a large city though lol. It has a 1300 sq ft modular home on it, with a 500ft well, off grid solar array, and a backup 25kw diesel genset. It even has a nice massey fergusen tractor with a loader and gannon and a kubota loader/backhoe. It also has a horse barn (even though I'm not a horse guy) and 1000sqft workshop. I have planted a few fruit trees up there but so far not much else. I would like to eventually put a small orchard of different fruit trees plus a vegetable crop if I get time. I am thinking about just letting someone stay there for free just so they can start using the land, it seems like such a waste.

Bananaman88
01-22-2009, 01:05 PM
Thanks, Jarred! This may turn out to be very useful for my job.

Bob
01-22-2009, 01:17 PM
Anyone out there with a small plot for rent at a reasonable price in Northern N.J.?...................Probably do just as well to keep playing the lottery but , you never know unless you try!