FARM CIRCLES

Sustainable Danville Area Farm Circle - San Ramon Backyard

One of our many goals is to promote the use of low-impact and edible landscaping to lessen the strain on valuable water resources and encourage people to grow their own nutritious, organic vegetables. We realize, however, that many people just don’t have the time, space, knowledge, or energy to create a productive backyard vegetable garden on their own. So we borrowed the concept of the old-fashioned barn raising, an event where neighbors would join forces to construct one family’s barn.

The men would build, the women would cook, (though we expect we’ll have mixed company for both these tasks in our circles) and when the barn was finished they would have a celebration. And when another family needed a new barn the same group would gather again for the “raising”, proving that many hands could make fast work of a project that would benefit not just a single individual but the entire community.

We envision the same solution for our community members who would like to start a backyard vegetable garden, but are daunted by the amount of work involved or afraid to get started because they lack the skill or experience. By joining forces, circle members with skills and equipment will help a new backyard farmer install and plant a vegetable garden. When it comes time to reciprocate, the group will gather to help a different member with his or her garden project.

As more circle members create and tend their own backyard mini-farms, more and more healthy, good-tasting, locally grown, organic crops will be available for trade, barter, or purchase in the community.

Anyone who is interested in joining the farm circle is welcome! You don’t need vegetable gardening experience. You can learn while you work with more seasoned hands.  We’re just getting started, so if your interested or have questions, email us at sustainabledanville@gmail.com.