Many seasoned and novice gardeners in the qathet region know that having a big harvest is a joy, but can lead to unnecessary food waste. Local resident Baron Shaver started gardening in 2020 and experienced this very thing with zucchinis.
“I found myself going to the local online group ‘swap n’ shop’ to find like-minded people to trade vegetables with,” said Shaver. “Some folks were harvesting 1,000 pounds of plums.”
That experience grew into an idea called gardenswap.ca, a centralized digital space where gardeners can trade food and ideas, easily and quickly. Launched only a few weeks ago, currently 80 local gardeners have joined.
Participants can list what they are going to grow, when it will be ready, and then swap surplus vegetables and/or fruits with neighbours. However, the app reaches farther than just the qathet and Powell River region.
Currently there are participants on Vancouver Island and across Canada. The online tool allows a person to set a kilometre distance to control how near or far they can see what is available on a map, either in their neighbourhood or farther away.
“Participants are not restricted to just fruits and vegetables they grow, they can list seeds, wild berries they pick, fruit and herbs,” said Shaver.
The idea is to grow what people can and trade the extra for foods they are not able to grow.
Participants can also create their own blog, in order to show-off photos of their garden, and write about their experiences, challenges and successes they have had with gardening.
In this time of inflation, and soaring food prices, “I want people to have access to affordable, healthy foods and get to know your neighbours at the same time,” said Shaver. “I want to help people, and I don’t want people to feel alone.”
Gardeners can organize swaps, trades and chat about gardening, however, all personal information is kept private. Shaver wants the app to be strictly about gardening.
To find out more go gardenswap.ca
