Let's Grow Some Food!
Welcome to our 50 miles (wobbly) circle of backyard food production. Everything from vegetables to fruit to chickens, and whatever ‘homesteading’ skills we may need to ensure a resilient community.
For now, please join our 6200 member Facebook group.
GG is a broad-based community of local people sharing skills and knowledge to create a sustainable future. Everyone’s input is valuable.We are committed to these principles:
• Courtesy
• Cooperation
• Friendliness
• Kindness
• Respect
• Service
• Unity
For now, please join our 5400 member Facebook group.
Grow Gainesville exists to encourage the communal aspects of homesteading skills that promote self-sufficiency and sustainability, while making that growing part a little easier, too.
Our aim as a network, is to help connect gardeners & homesteaders on-line and face to face. As well as to provide the supplies, resources and access to knowledge needed to grow food in the city and nearby areas.
Gardening though at moments solitary is in its essence a communal act with every seed carrying the long history of humans working together with plants and each other.
The Story of Grow Gainesville – Or –
How to Start a Local Food Security and Community Resilience Movement.
First gather a few people around a table, get them a pitcher of beer. Then ask the question “How can we get more people growing their own food? Then, meet up with a small local “prepper” group. Toss in a random bunch of social activists who want to eat clean healthy food and a local food movement is begun.
After creating a list of things required for community resilience and giving it a catchy name. Build a website and create a Facebook group and collaborate with that MeetUp group.
And you have – Grow Gainesville. From the beginning meeting each other out in the real world was the key to actually making it work. Getting people off line – at least once a month in the same place at the same time. No matter what, someone would be there.
That’s how the 3rd Monday Meeting began. February 2012, in the parking lot of Highlands Presbyterian Church. Ideas were tossed around, plans were made, along with a Barter Market every 3rd Saturday. Adding Extra Special Workshops as the interest grew.
Since Grow Gainesville is NOT a 501(c) and fundraising is not a priority, we’re able to connect and support all the OTHER local food production organizations and groups, and outlets to create a network of information, assistance, and connectivity without competing for members or money.
Beginning with: Backyard food production (vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy), and seed security. Then expanding towards, health, labor, barter systems. Including skill set identification & training.
One by one but in parallel.
New groups formed with different individuals taking on leadership focused around their personal passions. Including local seed saving & development of acclimated seed, home grown meat and communal processing, pollinator and ornamental gardening. And a network of Sweat Equity Work Parties to create, maintain, and harvest our food with and for each other.
Five years and two meeting re-locations later, Grow Gainesville has just over 5000 Facebook members, more than 17 affiliated organizations and a powerful voice in our 50 mile (wobbly) circle.
We’ve even got a TV show – “What’s Growing On?” TV20 WCJB – Thursdays at 5:45.
Join us, on line or better yet at our new home for the 3rd Monday Meeting at 219 NW 10th Avenue in the old Powell Plaza
Everybody can grow if we work on it together. “Shovels in the Ground, People!”, Grow Gainesville can help you with that.
Grow Gainesville lives on the internet (for now)
Please find us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GrowGainesville/