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scottinbroadmoor

HAVE: Neighborhood trading networks?

scottinbroadmoor
16 years ago

Hey all, does anyone have any experience with organizing a community garden swap that is an active network of neighbors who trade fruit and produce? A neighbor and I are thinking of organizing a network where we trade our locally grown fruit and vegetables with other neighbors, and are just looking for some advice or perhaps a model to follow from others who have done so. I hosted a jam swap party last summer where a dozen people got together and traded our home canned jam, that turned out great, but we're thinking of expanding it to include summer produce on a weekly basis. I'm thinking of using a barter system where members are given credits, based on the amount of produce they contribute to the pool, and those credits are then used to "buy" produce from the pool. Any thoughts or suggestions?????

Comments (2)

  • girlsingardens
    16 years ago

    That sounds like a great idea. I am working on setting up a plant exchange for late April with several other gardeners that I know and have shared plants for. But plan to post some posters and open it up to others and plan on donating extras to the schools gardens.

    I love the idea of trading or sharing any extras, my neighbor and I will trade back and forth produce all summer long. But we had talks with other gardeners who would say, I wish that I would have known that you needed x,y,or z because I have had so many extras. I live in a small town of 555 so I think I will start out by doing the plant exchange. I have several gardeners that I have talked to about doing this, and plan on posting flyers about the plant exchange. My 4 yr old is in preschool so I am going to have her save milk cartons from the milk they get at snack time for potting up the plants.

    Thanks for posting, and giving me more ideas.

    Stacie

  • andi2002
    15 years ago

    I belong to a garden club and at least one meeting a year is dedicated to sharing seeds and plants. Not everyone contributes but it's fun to do and I always go home with some new plants and seeds. I think the Jam trade is a fabulous idea..I wish I lived closer but it is an idea for us here in Nevada.
    Good Luck and let me know how you do.. Andrea