How To Promote Garden Matchmaking in Your Neighborhood

Greetings Gardeners!
Hopefully your gardens are abundant with the beginnings of the harvest season--I know I've been enjoying plums, nectarines, broccoli, greens, and more squash than you can throw at an elephant.  If you're looking for land to garden or fruit trees to harvest...Garden Matchmaking has come up with an abundance of that too thanks to recent coverage by New Times.  Check out our newfangled Google Map which now spatially represents SLO county in terms of available land and gardeners in need.  Or, if you prefer the old fashioned way, peruse our registry below.  And, if you're looking to do a bit more in support of Garden Matchmaking...

How To Promote Garden Matchmaking in Your Neighborhood

1. Distribute fliers and posters to apartments, condos, dorms, and homes with visibly disused yards

Either print the attached flier (four to a page to save paper, or single page for more posting publicly) or reply to this email to arrange to pick up deluxe pre-made fliers.  I have been gluing seeds to some of our fliers to raise interest and tap into the natural propensities of humanity...

2. Help create fliers and hand them out at Farmer's Markets

We will meet at 5pm on Thursdays at 885 Bucheon to make posters and fliers, then proceed to distribute them at Farmer's Market.  Join us, and pick up some free fruit, compliments of Garden Matchmaking.

3. Teach Someone to Garden (or Learn Yourself!)

Whether you are gardening alone, helping a neighbor learn (as this inspiring SLO resident has)--it is an interdependent movement.  Maybe you, your roommate or friend have expressed the wish to garden but haven't gotten around to it.  Truth be told, anyone can grow at least a few basic plants on even the busiest schedule, and he or she will reap many benefits beyond free food!  Try checking the library for basic gardening books, volunteer at the Cal Poly Organic Farm for a month, or check out any of the following local organizations which exist to inspire and enable gardening dreams come true:
Edible SLO http://www.ediblecommunities.com/
Master Gardeners http://groups.ucanr.org/slomg/
Seed Exchange This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Rare Fruit Growers http://www.crfg.org/
Cal Poly Organic Farm http://www.calpolyorgfarm.com/
Poultry Book Store http://poultrybookstore.com

4. Eat

Eating is the basis of gardening--even if you think you know nothing about gardening and the only green on your thumb is the blood of plants you've killed, you can learn everything you need to know by eating.  Try to find some local produce at the store, talk to a farmer at a local farmer's market, or better, hold a potluck in your neighborhood to bring out the local talent.  Ask questions--lots of questions--and talk with your mouth full.  Before you know it you may be a gardener.


Garden Matchmaking Registry
San Luis Obispo

Has Land! C.C. – Looking for a cool place to live? Rent a studio w/ access to large gardenable area and established fruit trees–fig, grape, and apricot.
Has Land! D.F. – Has backyard to share with right gardener.
Has Land! C.D. – Narrow strip in back yard, partially gardened, looking for responsible gardener. Share water costs.
Has Land! B. – has rooms to rent in house with plenty of gardenable space. Possibly available to nonrenters as well.
Has Land! R.W. – Backyard with three raised beds and drip irrigation waiting for the right person.  Near Cal Poly on Tassajara Dr.
Has Land! J.B. – Acre of land with good ag. well water available to right person.  Right outside of town.
Has Land! R. – Has land and garden near downtown.  Looking for helpers, willing to trade produce.
Has Land! N.W. – Double lot and the land goes way back. There is also a sizeable storage shed. Near High St. Deli
Needs Land! A.G. – Has small yard, looking for land.
Needs Land! M.J. – Moving to San Luis soon, looking for space to garden.
Needs Land! J.P. – Has porch, looking for yard in downtown area.
Needs Land! J.W. – A win-win situation: Have extra room you’ve thought about renting? I love to garden, pulling weeds is theraputic for me! Seeking simple, quiet, kind home to share expenses,etc. Local woman w/ great references.

Arroyo Grande

Has Land!C.L. – I have a dog camp and live on a 5 acre ranch – do not use about 2 of my acres and have been looking for some kind of trade. Please let me know what I can do to find a match with an gardner interested in a trade.
Has Land!C.B. – has a small 15′ X 5′ patch of soil in the back of a condo in Arroyo Grande which she would love to put to use.
Has Land!P.B. – has 15 mature fruit trees and no time to care for them. Oranges, grapefruit, apples, pear and peach.
Has Land!B.W. – 150′x30′ on land with fruit trees available to a gardener willing to commute ~15 minutes from San Luis.  If gardener is willing to work, B.W. can possibly handle watering.

Nipomo

Has Land!F.I. – I have a garden plot to share, about 3/4 of an acre in Nipomo.

Los Osos

Has Land!J. – Has one acre of land w/ greenhouse.

Avila

Has Land!M.R. – I have a large vegetable garden with irrigation already in place but it is suffering from lack of community interest. I call my property Crows End and offer a place for meditation and meditation retreats.

San Simeon

Needs Land! M.G. – Moving soon to a cozy San Simeon condo.  Gardening ambitions exceed the porch space…looking for land in the area!

Cambria

Has Land! G. – Has many plots available on beautiful acreage.  Also has much knowledge and is willing to help design plots and educate new gardeners.  Check out website for more info: www.wiseacrefarm.net.

Atascadero

Has Land! R.B. – Have 1/3 acre spring fed good soil beautiful setting certified organic farm
Has Land! G.C. – Parents have 4.5 acres possibly available for gardening/farming.
Has Land! S.W. – Our property on Hwy 41 west of Atascadero has 60+ fruit trees, 50+ table grape vines, compost heap space, Atascadero Mutual Water supplied water and room for multiple gardens. We are currently container gardening. Our space in the orchard could be a good fit for gardeners in need of space.

Paso Robles

Has Land!J.M. – The front 1/3 of my property (of 2 acres) was landscaped with native plants. There is plenty of room for a garden. There is already an elaborate irrigation system in place including drip lines and timer. While I am waiting for a match, I would be willing to hire someone to help me maintain what I already have.

Other Resources

Poultry Information! – Local to Cambria, happy to help with anyone’s chicken (and other poultry) questions. Check web site and blog, http://poultrybookstore.com.




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One Cool Earth
Director/Volunteer
w: www.onecoolearth.org
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c: 760-382-5164