Backyards Feed

There is an epidemic of poor nutrition in this country which disproportionately affects the less fortunate. This leads to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and many other illnesses that are largely preventable. The questions that I have been thinking about recently are, ‘How do we address this issue in our communities and make a lasting difference?’ ‘Is this something that individuals can fix or do we need the government or large organizations to handle it?’

This spring I planted a garden at my parents’ house which is now starting to produce a good amount of vegetables. My entire family has been really excited about the progress and has enjoyed being able to pick fresh vegetables right out of their yard. My dad has been especially into it and called me yesterday to say that next year he wants the garden to be 2-3 times as big. I loved the idea, but then started trying to figure out what we would do with all of the extra vegetables.

First, I thought maybe we could get a spot at a local farmer’s market and sell the extra veggies. Or, maybe I could even start a little CSA and let people I know come pick them right out of the yard, for a small price. Neither of these really stuck with me, so I put the idea on hold and went out for a run. And as so often happens, the best idea came to me towards the end of a tough run.

Here is the idea for BackyardsFeed.com:

We will use as much of our backyard as possible to grow high-yielding, nutritionally-dense vegetables that will be given to local families that do not have access to fresh vegetables because they can either not afford them, do not have a grocery store within a reasonable distance, or just do not yet understand the importance of healthy eating.

I think the really interesting piece will come in with the yet-to-be-developed website. On BackyardsFeed.com people will be able to contribute in two major ways. First, they can donate money or seeds to us, of which 100% will be used to grow vegetables for people in need. Second, they can pledge to join us and create their own backyard garden. So, whether you live in an apartment in New York City, have a huge farm in Kansas, or just have a normal yard in Baltimore, you can get involved and help people in your community.

I also want there to be a place for people to post photos and videos of their gardens and, if appropriate, of them delivering the vegetables to people. There will also be a blog with updates and tips as well as forums where people can ask questions and share what they’ve learned.

As a second phase, I would love to help people plant their own backyard or porch gardens. Giving people healthy food is great, but helping them learn to grow it themselves will be a more lasting and sustainable solution. There will also be opportunities to partner with local schools and neighborhood organizations to teach kids about healthy eating and gardens.

People should not feel that they have to give all of their vegetables away. I think it’s important to feed yourself and your family with fresh vegetables, too. My suggestion is that you make your garden twice as big as you think it needs to be.

I don’t expect that BackyardsFeed.com will solve the problem completely, but if it can help a few families learn to eat healthy and grow their own food, I think it will be well worth it.

This idea is just in its infancy, but I don’t think that it’s too early to start enlisting the help we will need. So, do you want to get involved? Do you want to add to this idea? Leave a comment or email me and let me know your thoughts.