The Little Front Yard Garden that Rippled Around the World

Though some may have seen my first garden as a failure, for me, it was the first taste of something great. If I was judging my success on my harvest, I didn't have much to show for it. There's just something special about growing food that turns on a light bulb and feels empowering. After tasting your first homegrown tomato, you may never be the same! I felt like I wanted to share this excitement with others but my garden was tucked away in my backyard behind a 6 foot fence.

So I planted my next garden out in the front yard. It was a vulnerable place to be but it also felt exciting to be out front where I had the chance to interact with others. I had plenty of space in my backyard but planting that garden out in front of the privacy fence was a powerful statement even though I didn’t realize it at the time. In a world where we rarely spend much time on our front porch any more, I met more neighbors than I could imagine while tending my small 4×4 raised bed garden. Neighbors out walking their dog or strolling by would stop and ask what I’m growing and tell me about their gardening projects.

One memory that continues to inspire me is of a lady who told me that just from walking past my garden over the season and watching it grow, she was inspired to start her first garden. Now she’s gotten all her friends growing their first broccoli. I hadn’t ever talked to her until that moment and I had know idea that a simple front yard garden could have such power. This was my first taste of the rippling power of our actions.

I started day dreaming of what it would look like if my whole block got to share that experience of front yard gardens and more neighborly connections. One day when walking home from the coffee shop I just saw this vision so clearly of my whole street lined in raised bed gardens where neighbors could harvest from each other and get to know each other. It seemed far-fetched but I felt the call and had to give it a shot.

My background in sales helped me to realize that if I could eliminate the reasons people might say no to a front yard garden, they’d be much more likely to say yes. I rallied some friends and we found a way to build low maintenance wicking bed gardens out of wood pallets and other salvaged materials so we could offer them for free. In January of 2012 we hosted a launch party for the idea and within 5 weeks you were in the minority on our block if you didn’t have a front yard community garden. We were onto something and the Food is Free Project was born!

Before this experience I was feeling paralyzed as to how I could make a difference in the world but by focusing on my immediate community, it was really possible. So I blogged about the process and started to encourage other people to take the idea and make it their own if they were inspired. Six months later, I got an email from a lady who wanted to launch a branch of Food is Free in Tasmania on the other side of the globe!

My little front yard garden had rippled around the world and it was clear to me that food has the power to unite us. Now we’ve had over 350 cities around the world start Food is Free Projects and we’re creating an amazing community of support, inspiration, and action that is growing more each day.

Whatever it is that lights you up, do it out in the open. If not in the front yard, invite others to be a part of it because you never know who you may inspire to take their first step towards following their inspiration.

Onward and upward!