Yard Shares

A small but growing number of US families are sharing larger back yards, gardens and gardening responsibilities with neighbouring families, and enjoying the spaces together as social venues. According to Beth Urban, executive director of the American Community Garden Association, there has been a huge increase in the number of community gardens, which she attributes in part to rising consumer interest in growing food and local food sourcing, as well as a greater demand for healthy and natural food, free of processed elements and toxic chemicals found in some pesticides. Urban estimates that in the US families are now using up to a million shared plots nationwide.

By Hannah Robinson and Michael Masconi