Food is Free is a non-profit organization that seeks to grow community and food through planting shared gardens with free harvest. The common feature is the use of drought-resistant wicking bed gardens, a type of garden design that holds water for longer periods of time, making it easier to maintain.
The project started in Austin, Texas in 2012 when John Van Deusen Edwards and Jonathan Horstmann started planting these four by four wicking bed gardens in their front yawn. Within a few months, most of his neighborhoods was lined with organic food-growing gardens, sparking momentum for an expanding movement to build community through shared harvesting. The idea was that the street-lined gardens would be an opportunity for the community to come together, connect, and grow through planting.
The Food is Free Project has also spread from paving neighborhood streets with gardens to installing them at Elementary schools, community art spaces, Farmers Markets, churches, and small businesses. The project also encourages anyone and everyone to
build their own garden and provides help and guidelines on how to start your own community gardens on their
website. Check out their
facebook page and follow them on
twitter and
instagram.
