Idea for Seattle gardening/food bartering website - input wanted!

12 years ago

I recently came up with an idea for a website and I wanted some northwest gardener's opinions. I see it as a cool way to not only save some money by sharing and reducing waste, but also a neat way to grow community among local gardeners!

Be it spring, summer or fall, it seems like most gardeners end up with at least one or two crops that just produce more than can be eaten. All too often, much of this food goes to waste - who alive can keep up with the fertility of a healthy squash plant? Likewise, many gardeners can be overwhelmed by work that needs to be done digging garden beds, weeding, sowing seeds, building cloches, or what have you.

My idea is to start a forum-based website in which local gardeners could meet and trade for any gardening or food related item - food, work, or even knowledge. Using this website, people could post an offered ad, find somebody else with something that they would like to trade for, and the two could meet up and trade. I could see something like this being especially handy for things like plant starts and seeds. Or, if someone were going to be building a cobb oven, or constructing a cold frame, or doing some canning, they could post an offer to teach anyone interested the ins and outs while they're at it. In exchange, people could offer food, work, or whatever.

If such a website were to be successful, I think it would be great to take it a step further and set up the food equivalent of a swap meet. Every week or two, there would be a weekend food swap somewhere convenient in in the area where lots of people can show up with a couple of bags of whatever they have in excess and trade it for something else.

Anyway, thoughts???? Is this something anyone would be interested in?

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Comments (7)

larry_gene
12 years ago
One main function of the website could be to reduce the chances of a "potluck syndrome" where everyone shows up with an armload of zucchini or rhubarb.
Merilia
12 years ago
Personally, with the price of fuel being what it is, and how cheaply I can get seasonal veggies at CSAs and the like if I'm not already growing them myself, I can't picture myself driving out to trade for produce with people I met on a website who probably live somewhere in the metro Seattle area but not necessarily close to me. My free time is limited, and I would rather spend it in the garden or with my daughter.

However, if that's your goal, you can skip the effort of making your own site and use the Pacific Northwest Garden Exchange forum to set up trades.

If you're coming at this from the opposite angle ("Hey, wouldn't it be nifty to make my own website! I wonder what sort of service I can provide? Maybe something I could potentially monetize once it becomes popular enough...") then I really have no advice for you, but I'll wish you luck :-)
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janezee
12 years ago
This idea that you mention has the exact problems Merilia suggests, imho.

Might I suggest to all gardeners that have extra veg to drop it off at the local food bank? Produce is hard to come by for folks on extremely limited incomes, and you'd be surprised how many of the recipients are the elderly and children. The prices just keep climbing, and so many more people are the new poor due to lay-offs and mortgage snafus.
Just a thought.
dottyinduncan
12 years ago
Quite negative respsonses so far. I don't live in Seattle so can't participate. But, if you work on your idea, perhaps a good place to start is to organize a plant swap in the springtime when perennials are being divided, too many starts, etc. I think it's been done in the past. Even potlucks! I donate extra produce to the food bank but wish sometimes for more help picking fruit, digging, etc. perhaps by those people who don't have gardens. The idea of getting to know your garden web neighbours is great. I've met a few of mine here on Vancouver Island and have traded plants, or have received gifts of plants which I most appreciate.
greenelephant
12 years ago
You might have fun at one of the Green Elephant Plant Swaps in Redmond. 4 times a year. First Saturday of Jan, Mar, Jun, Nov, 10 AM to Noon.

Cheers,
Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Elephant Plant Swaps
greenelephant
12 years ago
Foodbanks' fresh produce wish list (per Hope Link and Maltby Foodbank directors)

- Onions, bunching and globe
- Beets
- Carrots - Red Cored Chantenay "The Big Ugly" yields very well.
- Potatoes
- Summer Squash (small ones not overgrown)
- Winter Squash - smaller varieties not big Hubbards etc.
- Cucumbers for slicing

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing for Foodbanks
janezee
12 years ago
Winter Seed Sowing/Hardwood Cuttings
Saturday January 7, 2012, 10 AM to Noon (indoors)

Right after the holidays in the cold dark of winter, we get together with our treasure troves of seeds, and dirt and pots and labels, to winter-sow perennials, trees, shrubs. These pots of seeds then go outside for cold treatment which breaks the seeds' dormancy. You won't believe the great results! Come spring they germinate in profusion. For this event, potting soil is provided. Bring your pots, seeds, labels to share. This year we will propagate hardwood cuttings of various native and ornamental shrubs. You can also divide and repot houseplants at this event.

Directions and Details
The Green Elephant Plant Swap is hosted in North Redmond, WA, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross; The site offers parking, covered areas, indoor facilities, kitchen, memorial garden, grass labyrinth and playground. It is five minutes from I-405 and I-520.

Directions and Maps to the Church of the Holy Cross.

Contact: Jim Eichner, cell phone: 425-223-7249

Street address: 11526 162nd Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052

How it works: No sales, just exchanges and freebies, please.

Tailgating Encouraged. The format for the trade is like a tailgate party. Traders exchange expert gardening information as well as plant materials. In two hours all the deals are sealed. We have plenty of new parking.

Free Stuff. Many gardeners generously share plants from the abundance of their gardens. An excellent way to begin your garden. Also an excellent way to thin out that giant patch of shasta daisies, etc. There is always a pile of plants free for the sharing at the swap.

What if I have nothing to trade? Cookies and chocolate work like money at the Green Elephant!

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Elephant Swap