Food is Free Project turns 6 Years Old Today!

The Food is Free Project started with a simple front yard garden.

That garden sparked conversations and a bigger vision of what was possible.

We hosted weekend community workdays following our kickoff event and within 5 weeks we had created a new normal on our block. 19 of the 30 houses on Joe Sayers Ave in Austin, TX hosted a front yard wicking bed garden built from salvaged materials and some neighbors were meeting for the first time in decades.

Seeing neighbors connecting and talking out in front of the garden beds as well as waving and interacting more was proof that something as simple as a front yard garden can sprout much more than just homegrown food.

In 2012, the community united for the kickoff event in Austin, TX. We shared delicious food, brainstormed resources and we had over 100 people sign up to host a front yard garden all over the city! The energy in that room was undeniable and within a year the project went open source and worldwide.

Now, 6 years later, over 400 cities around the world have started Food is Free Projects and more sprout each week. Thank you to everyone who has shared the vision and planted the seeds for a better world. Know that you are not alone and together our small actions united are making a difference.

Start a Food is Free Project in your town. It all starts with that first garden!

More and more people are recognizing the importance of local food and supporting our communities. Food is Free provides a platform for community interaction that opens doors to further collaboration and connection. Imagine driving down your street, where the majority of homes host a front yard community garden, neighbors come together for potlucks, establish tool-sharing and community composting programs while creating safer, more beautiful neighborhoods.

We are creating models for how to grow food in unused public spaces that provide opportunities for people to experience fresh, healthy, organic food, and the power of community when we come together for a cause that’s greater than ourselves.

You are encouraged to take any ideas from #foodisfreeproject and tailor them to fit your community. We all have something to learn from each other and knowing we're not alone makes it much easier to take a step out into our community and plant the first seeds.

Take the first step and share your #foodisfree photos on social media so we can all stay connected and spread these ripples of inspiration far and wide. I'm excited for Steemit to allow us to grow and unite in ways we are yet to imagine!

Onward and Upward,
John

Start a front yard community garden: http://foodisfreeproject.org