Green | February 05, 2009 | 31 comments

Share your yard and make 61K?

source: http://hyperlocavore.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/yardsharing-return-on-investment-how-does-24k-...

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leahl
Blogger Hyperlocavore did the math, and found that if your share your yards with neighbors and invest in fruit and nut producing trees...you could bank (but don't be fooled...gardening is expensive...to the tune of a $1,700 investment. But still...I don't eat blue berries these days unless it's off the bush anyway. Who can afford them a $7 a package?)

"Let’s assume that each of our families enjoys approximately:

* 2 lbs organic Granny Smith apples @ $4.50 per week.
* 1 lb organic anti-oxidant rich blueberries @ $12.00 per week.
* .5 lb organic almonds @ 7.00 per week

That’s about $24.00 per week per family, or about $1250.00 per family per year for three pretty basic healthy staples. It’s $3750.00 per year for all three families to eat yummy organic green apples, blueberries and almonds. Now let’s assume that to produce this amount for three families you will need:

* 4 almond trees (producing about 64 lbs per year)
* 2 apple trees (producing about 600 lbs per year)
* 15 mature blueberry bushes (producing about 150 pounds per year)

Your group wants the benefit sooner rather than later so you agree to purchase mature trees and shrubs.

* 4 producing almond trees - 8′ @ $80.00 = $320.00
* 2 producing apple trees 8′ @ $90.00 = $180.00
* 15 producing blueberry bushes 4′ @ $40.00 = $600.00
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31 comments // Share your yard and make 61K?

  • ampersand
  • hyperlocavore
  • Gargaryun
    • 0
      Gargaryun  

    • My yard is .97 of an acre, I already have an old, large, producing Pear tree,(I THINK they're ANJOU's, They're damn sure not Bartlett's) & have seriously considered putting in Blueberry bushes & some more fruit trees...Apricot & Apple...Oh Yeah, I've also got a number of Black Walnut trees...

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
  • sgwhites
    • 0
      sgwhites  

    • Oh, if only I had a yard! I really do need to figure out if I can grow anything indoors in pots (no balcony either). The internet says yes, the people at the garden store say no...guess I'll have to give it a shot and see how it goes.

    • 3 years ago
  • donkeyfly69
  • Hunnter
    • 0
      Hunnter  
    • sgwhites:

      You should be able to grow it, as long as you keep the soil filled with nutrients.
      If you buy seeds, google around for information on the plants and what they need to live.
      Shouldn't be too hard to keep it going without using up much money.
      If anything, leftover food mushed up could be enough for most plants.
      Occasionally, you could mush up some food, wrap it in paper, then dig a hole into the soil and leave it there, it will slowly be taken into the soil.

      You could even go as far as getting some worms too.
      But you might need to consider going with a container-based plant so the worms don't get out and go everywhere.

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  
    • sgwhites:

      That's the thing...YOU DONT NEED A YARD...come to hyperlocavore and start looking for someone who wants to share...there will be plenty of people who don't have a lot of time - but have space...we are here to hook you up!
      Spread the word!

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  
    • sgwhites:

      But that's the whole point! YOU don't have to HAVE a yard, maybe you can find someone in your area willing to share space? Maybe an elderly person? The whole idea of yardsharing is to pool resources...some people have space, some people have skills, some people have strength and some people have a lot of time...those things don't always land in one person...but a group can bring them together. I suggest anyone who is interested in the idea come over to hyperlocavore.com and start a 'seeking yardshare in (Fill in your Area Here)...and see who you meet -- or maybe gather your friends there... The point is to get past some of the things that keep up from growing our own....Those things are not the same for everyone!

      Take care,
      LizM

    • 3 years ago
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  
    • Image

    • Here you go hyperlocavore - we are very lucky to have this organization here, Andy Lipkis is quite an extraordinary person and has done a brilliant job - a great service to our city!

      About: "TreePeople is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the Los Angeles area for over three decades. Simply put, our work is about helping nature heal our cities. We offer sustainable solutions to urban ecosystem problems, focusing on three areas:

      1. Training and supporting communities to plant and care for trees
      2. Educating school children and adults about the environment
      3. Working with government agencies on critical water issues

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
  • Hunnter
    • 0
      Hunnter  

    • I'd really like to get my town around to doing something like this in the very near future.
      It is so much better because everything will be fresh.
      It is easy enough to have some light-farms to generate some things all year round too. (solar powered so it hopefully won't require anyone to power it all)

      Community farming really is a great idea too.

      And the plus side is if you generate excess, you can donate to charity or sell it off to someone else... or mush it up and stick it back into the ground.

      And speaking of that, don't waste food either, stick it in a blender till it is sludge, water it down and use it when watering.
      Wasted food has a lot of nutrients still, such a shame to bury it all.

    • 3 years ago
  • mindcontrol
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  

    • Folks may also be interested in the link above -
      100 Reasons to be a Hyperlocavore

      May be not for everyone - but for a lot of us its already working!

    • 3 years ago
  • ham3r
    • 0
      ham3r  

    • In theory it sounds like a wonderful plan where everyone would grow produce and fruits on there yards and trade off with each other. But people are used to convenience and having a garden would require to much time and effort for a person in today's society.

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  
    • ham3r:

      Well - that may be true for some folks - but a lot of folks are already doing it!

      Many hands makes light work.

      It's a matter of priorities ...if really good food and sunshine and community are your priorities...it makes a lot of sense!

      But it's certainly not a solution for everyone!

      Your mileage may vary as they say!

      Take care,

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  
    • ham3r:

      In today's society some people may agree with you...and others are already doing it!

      Urban/suburban farming is popping up all accross the country.

      It's a matter of priorities...it may just not be yours!

    • 3 years ago
  • donkeyfly69
  • Jonathonish
  • stopnoise
  • donkeyfly69
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  

    • The Kitchen Garden is a really great 4 minute video to check out.

      Organic gardening becomes easier and much less expensive once you are up and running... Organic compost (also called black gold) is essential for a healthy soil, you don't need to buy fertilizers. And for example, Los Angeles city subsidizes excellent compost bins to make the job easier - a $180 bin for $25, they also make compost which they will give you to get started as well. I can only imagine other cities have subsidies available if you need them.

      Companion planting will reduce pest problems - for example grow basil with your tomatoes and that will decrease the number of horn worms, onions around broccoli stave off many a bug, garlic is great for warding all sorts of things away and is good for fungus problems, chamomile will create a healing and supportive ambiance for your garden beds. If I need to ward off anything (sometimes our wacky weather will bring in the odd bug at the wrong time) I make a homemade remedy from garlic, cayenne pepper, a bit of olive oil and castille soap in water... (don't put it on the flowers though - we also need to create "safe" havens for our bees.)

      http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

      The link below to Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Garden concept is a great way to go - we are getting beautiful results from these beds. He has many suggestions for reducing the costs of creating an edible garden... not only that, the flowers from the vegetables are gorgeous and add beautiful color to one's garden (or patio - you can grow many things in boxes if you have enough sunlight - and many things don't need full sun for the whole day). You can also utilize roof tops for your garden.
      http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

      With so many people losing their jobs, growing food will not only be a great remedy for the blues, but will help in the long run with much better nutrition. There is nothing like going outside and picking your food - it tastes so much better than anything you can buy in a store and still has its full range of vitamins and minerals.

      I have a neighbor that liked what I was doing and now she is doing it too - we get to share a lot and we enjoy the garden as a focus point for friendship.
      I also think it is a great idea to learn how to save seeds from your garden... With all that is going on with crop contamination our pure heirloom/organic seeds will become much more valuable than the money that buys them right now...

      A local organization here called Tree People also plants fruit trees around the inner city areas.

      There will be no "food crisis" if as many of us as possible do this.... wherever and whenever we can.

    • 3 years ago
  • hyperlocavore
  • hyperlocavore
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  
    • SeaJade:

      Great post SeaJade....maybe you guys should join us and spread the sense your making --- we're hoping people like you will pop up in every nabe and show people how beautiful and tasty the world can be!

    • 3 years ago
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  
    • SeaJade:

      These are indeed new times which will require us to go back and reach out for some wisdom from the past in order to create a better future for all... Certainly understand not all people can do, but rooftops and balconies can fill in the gaps.
      We also have "community" gardens in our city (I know they are in other cities too such as New York). That is, someone who owns a bit of land (or the city) will divide it up into "plots" and rent them out so some people have an opportunity to garden if they live in an apartment.
      Techniques for vertical gardening are also cropping up (pardon the pun) in cities - Chicago is doing an excellent job of this as well as utilizing rooftops.

    • 3 years ago
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  
    • Image
    • SeaJade:

      I think you might also appreciate this company hyperlocavore. I came across this company the other day as I was walking about Venice - a family replaced their water sucking lawn to an edible/sustainable/organic garden and created a demonstration in their front yard to set a great and beautiful example. A far better use for our precious water supplies than a green layer of grass covered with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.... This kind of neighborhood in Venice (most of Los Angeles could do this actually) would be perfect for community growing and yard sharing.... Personally, I like doing it all myself, its a great solution if you don't have enough time and you can afford it.

      About: "We are a business working towards urban sustainability in Los Angeles by helping people grow their own food. We design, install, and maintain organic vegetable gardens for households, schools, and communities.

      In our society most food is shipped from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. It may seem like a small thing, but the vegetables you eat from your garden are vegetables you don’t buy from the supermarket. A backyard vegetable garden is agriculture that couldn’t possibly get more local, not to mention that it provides the freshest, tastiest, most convenient, and most satisfying food around. Here at Heart Beet we are in the business of creating that home-grown agriculture, of connecting people to their homes, their soil, and the food that they eat."

    • 3 years ago
  • donkeyfly69
    • 0
      donkeyfly69  

    • i save money growing my own tomatoes, bell peppers, and oregano in my back yard. this year i plan to grow more. everything tastes better when it came from your soil

    • 3 years ago
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • hyperlocavore
    • 0
      hyperlocavore  

    • that people do it is the important thing!

      If saving great heaping gobs of cash is the motivation why would it matter?

      Cereal forreal... It depends on what you grow....somethings in the stores are really expensive so if you can grow them it makes sense. On the other hand onions are cheap so it makes less sens to use what little space you have to grow them!

      Share yards with friends and grow more!

    • 3 years ago
  • dariusvons
    • 0
      dariusvons  

    • community permaculture! that's the only way to go! don't do if for the money. do it for your health, for the enviroment, and for free food!

    • 3 years ago
  • cerealforeal
  • hyperlocavore
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