We Patch – Urban Garden Share

The We Patch Organization has launched a new urban garden share website designed to connect people looking for gardening space with those who have space to offer.  The site facilitates local, small-scale agriculture by enabling users nationwide to post listings in search of either garden space or gardeners in their area.

Amid the pinch of an economic downturn and alongside the recent explosion of the sustainability movement, urban agriculture is rapidly gaining ground across the United States.  City dwellers are adeptly making use of the space available to them by dangling herb pots from window ledges, planting edibles in sidewalk strips and traffic circles, and slyly tending clandestine gardens in public parks.  However, many would-be urban gardeners lack adequate turf to make their efforts worthwhile.  There is a clear demand for public gardening space, but municipalities have been slow to respond.

Urban garden shares like those offered at We Patch provide a simple, elegant solution to this problem.  There are no waiting lists or applications, and the service is entirely free. Users can register and then create or respond to listings in minutes.  Once a match is made between a planter (someone looking for space) and partner (someone with space to offer), they decide together what to farm: vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, or even livestock and honey bees.  The planter gets a patch to nurture, and the partner gets to share some of the fresh produce.

By improving access to local garden space, such collaboration not only helps individuals plant their own produce, but also strengthens neighborhood communities and promotes environmental stewardship.  We Patch urges members to meet each other face to face, where the spade meets the dirt, and by doing so to make their neighborhoods more familiar places.  We Patch also explicitly supports sustainable agriculture practices.  Members are discouraged from using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and are encouraged to conserve water and use organic seeds.

Whether you’re a novice or experienced gardener, whether you have an acre lot or a small raised bed to offer, We Patch can help bring homegrown produce and camaraderie to your table.  Create your own listing today and see what grows!

By Peter Rothbart
Director
We Patch Organization
Seattle, WA
734.717.1864
peter@wepatch.org

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