Earn money from your vegetable garden

Backyard veges a growth industry

Earn money from your vegetable garden

By EMMA PAGE - Sunday Star Times | 7:31AM - Sunday, 12 July 2009

SEED CAPITAL: Andrewa Higginson in her Grey Lynn garden
in Auckland, making preparations for a local farmers market.
— GRAHAME COX/Sunday Star-Times.

Farmers' markets are known for showcasing local produce but a new Auckland initiative is taking the concept further in a model organisers hope will be repeated around the country.

Due to start in September, the Grey Lynn farmers' market aims to get ordinary city dwellers with a penchant for growing veges in their backyard, or even those with an over-productive lemon tree, to sell alongside the professionals.

Dubbed an urban food market, locals will be able to exchange vegetables or fruit at the community table, while enthusiasts looking to make money off their own garden can hire a space at a stall from $20.

Work on making the idea a reality started last year. Development manager Vincent Dickie, recently returned from overseas, was surprised to notice Auckland supermarkets were selling Californian oranges when he could see the fruit lying rotting on the ground in his neighbourhood.

Since then a group of active volunteers have contributed time and energy to making it happen.

Dickie says the vision is for a place where the local community can come together and have a good time on a Sunday morning.

"It's also about Kiwi ingenuity people getting creative with local ingredients."

Spin-off effects will be encouraging sustainability, educating people about food and gardening, and the potential for generating income.

Grey Lynn gardening enthusiast Andrea Higginson is involved with the Grey Lynn community gardens and also has a vege patch at her flat. She's just harvested carrots, potatoes and beetroot, and reckons the market will be excellent support for local gardeners.

She can imagine exchanging excess produce and thinks this could make gardening more economical. "It will really educate, inspire and mobilise many gardeners."

Dickie believes there is potential for the model to be replicated around the country.

Interest has been huge with emails flooding in through the initiative's website. So far the group has 70 paid members who contributed $20 to join and will receive 10 percent on all produce. More are expected to join before the September 06 start date.

• For more information, visit: http://glfm.co.nz.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2586330/Backyard-veges-a-growth-industry