I think this is a great idea. Baz Early next year Landshare Australia will be launching to provide a social networking service that introduces people with spare land to others wanting to grow fruit and vegetables, but with nowhere to do it. “Public concern for ‘food miles’, mounting food prices and a desire to get back to old fashioned flavour has generated a dramatic rise in people wanting to grow their own fruit and vegetables,” says gardening ‘guru’ Phil Dudman who is one of a small team launching the service. ”Everybody is catching the ‘grow your own’ bug – restaurateurs, celebrity chef’s, and the interest in cooking fresh at home is booming thanks to shows like Master Chef. “But as the movement grows, backyards in Australia are getting smaller leaving thousands of would-be revolutionaries yearning for a piece of dirt on which to grow. That’s where Landshare Australia comes in,” says Phil. The key to its success will be the website and Landshare Australia is looking for supporters to help spread the word and sponsors to help it all happen. “We plan to make Landshare Australia one of the leading websites for any Australian gardener not only providing the matchmaking service, but allowing them to chat with other growers, get the very best growing advice from our veg doctors and download ‘how to’ guides,” says Phil. “With community support it will succeed and we’re hoping that with corporate support we can make it happen across Australia even faster!” Landshare Australia is based upon the hugely successful Landshare UK website launched last year by celebrity chef and ethical food warrior Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (River Cottage). The UK site is booming with over 57,000 growers, landowners and helpers registered to date and still growing. The UK team are also advising on the development of the Australian site. Landshare Australia will launch its website in February 2011 where people can register and post their particular need for a space to grow or offer land to share with interested gardeners. A website search will provide a selection of matches, contact is then made, terms are agreed and then growing gets going. “The usual arrangement is that the gardener provides the landowner with a share of their produce so everyone wins. It’s that easy.” “Obviously though, we will need participants on ‘both sides of the fence’ – we need people who have large backyard, hobby farms or rural properties to register as well as those who want to get a vegie garden going. We also need helpers, people who are not seeking land, but can offer help in some way, from answering gardeners questions online to helping out on the plot itself, ” adds Phil. Phil Dudman’s own ‘patch’, the Northern Rivers, is the first area in Australia to launch Landshare Australia with participants already sharing in its first trial. “It is working well and we look forward to getting the word out to the rest of Australia from February 2011 onwards when the website is fully operational. In the meantime people can register at the website www.landshareaustralia.com.au .”
Nice idea. I hope it works. MOre of this sort of idea and a growing trend towards people growing their own produce and small farmers markets must be putting pressure on the big farmers which i don't htink is a bad thing since i think the pressure to go big is costing us all a lot in numerous ways. But it would be helpful for hte government to be made aware of the trend so they can help the big farmers go small again. Although i am not pro subsidy as is the case in France for example, i do support traditional small farms. I think they are culturally and socially important. Maybe they should get Landline do to a story on this project once its gets started.
I have also just registered and offered land for share gardening... what a fantastic idea... should be more of it.. cant wait to see what happens
Hi Linda Im just wondering what sort of conditions will you negotiate with your offer.... what suits your land?
It's worth pondering Matto. I guess we need to start with the question will the new use complement the current ongoing use? and follow that withwhat financial impact will the use have on the current operation? We may end up offering to pay for the new project if it complements enough.
Hi Matto, I have toyed with the idea in the past of a community garden on council land but the thought of having to be there in the morning and at night to lock and unlock the gates was one thing that was in the too hard basket. If it is on my property then open and close times are a lot easier to manage... veges... fruit trees... communal chooks.... herbs... maybe even school education program although the schools have good vege plots . There would be a lot to consider before I would do the final commital... Insurance... sustainable water... commitee or no commitee... fee or barter payment for plot... access... the list goes on
Hi Linda. I'm involved in the process here in Warwick of establishing a community garden. We are using council land - the previous one on private land folded because people where a bit leery of doing something that would add value to someone's property. We will (eventually) have an area that may be fenced/locked for members to have their "own" plots, but the bulk of the area will be open. We have decided to run as a sub-committee of the local Landcare group. They wanted to be seen as more than just a farmers organisation, and they already have insurance cover, etc, as well as access to many gov't funding programs. Most of the people involved already have their own gardens, but are looking for the social aspect of a more community focused area. I think this (the social aspect) should not be overlooked in the promotion of Landshare. It is proving to be quite important in our own endeavour
I have often thought about sharing my food forest as I know it would be much more productive with two sets of hands, it's just about finding the right set of hands and making sure it's a fare arrangement, I have lost count of the dollars and hours spent in my gardens over the years, I have over 90 fruit and nut tree's so to have someone walk in and start harvesting would be a little strange, Maybe I could give them a plot in one of my vegi gardens as a start and see how that works out and just go from there. How would you feel about sharing your garden with someone else?
I will have to do that when my sister and brother in law come to live here in a few years time. I guess its not the same thing quite is it? . Of course I won't mind if they take what they want. I know i will find it awkward to get the working in the garden thing sorted out. They might think I wouldn't want them interfering but i do and then I am not quite sure what arrangement to come to. I mean I'd really like them to get working in the garden too but if we dont' communicate properly we could undermine each others work. I think in this case its important that people feel they have control over what they do and not just working according to my agenda (which would be the most ideal but...)
New website is live! Now you can register as a grower, landowner, helper or just show your support for the grow your own movement www.landshareaustralia.com.au
I have added an entry offering a plot on one of my large garden beds to the right person/people. This should be an interesting journey.
Landshare is an absolutely terrific idea. I really hope it has legs. I have a vege patch in a friend's unused garden and she gets an occasional text like "corn is on". One thing that I didnt pick up from the landshare website is the tricky subject of water use. My friend and I came to an arrangement to help with her water bill late in the piece and before that I felt like a bit of a freeloader.
I don't have any water issues here, but they will have to learn how to run the pump and how my watering system sort of works, well sort of, I doubt anyone will quite understand how ones over complex, upgraded 10 times rural piping system works. I'm not limited to Landshare either, if you live near Nerangba and wanta bit of vegi garden space give us a shout. In the long term I'm looking for someone to share the food forest with and this type of set up could produce more than enough for two families. But I'm just testing the water while I look for the right green thumbed soul.
