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The Benefits of Organic Gardening Co-operatives

By Stephanie Stewart

The concept here is to develop a service for your neighbors, friends, family and people living in areas that do not allow for easy access to organic gardening or organically grown foods and to offer an easy, low cost alternative to doing it yourself.

Most of us cringe at the thought of starting our own gardens in late Spring because of the time, work and cost commitment involved, yet we spend the same amount of time and cost purchasing these same products in a grocery store. Too often, we do not know the quality of what we are buying for ourselves and our families and the prospect of 'doing it ourselves', puts us at another disadvantage because our active lifestyles simply do not allow for the commitments required in planting a successful organic garden. Things to take into consideration are the type of garden plan to use, preparing an organic soil, composting, choosing quality seeds, planning the garden layout, planting, watering, weeding, sheltering when required, organic pesticides or using other plants to control pests, wildlife incursions and harvesting. All this time, work and money makes the effort of growing your own garden just too daunting for many people. As an alternative to purchasing high priced, organically 'labelled' vegetables in grocery stores or roadside stands, the benefits of an organic gardening co-operative shine.

An organic gardening co-op offers a myriad of benefits to those seeking an easier, more cost effective way to improve their health through their diet. Because this concept is new and few people are aware it exists, the first objective is to find a co-operative. If one is already available, find out what services are offered and what they include. For instance, some of these services could include choosing the size of the plot you require for the vegetables and/or fruit you want to plant. Harvesting times, as some plants take longer than others. Whether you want to plant and take care of your plot yourself or if you want it done for you. Do you want to harvest your garden or have it harvested, packaged and delivered to your door. What are the up front costs before you start and will already grown fruit trees be included, to buy or to harvest. These services can be offered on a monthly or weekly basis, depending on what the client wants to do, how much work will be involved and how much of a role the client wants to play in growing and harvesting their own garden.

Another possibility is to start a co-operative of your own. A co-op can be started by an individual, a couple or a group of like-minded people. Organize a meeting with a few friends, neighbors or family members and present this concept. It can be done for a group of families, a whole neighborhood or as a community project. If there is interest, get as many people involved as you can, organize a plan and delegate what needs to be done with the members. The more people involved, the easier it will be to create and run the co-op and it will benefit all the members whether they are families, neighbors, friends or the community at large, so everyone will profit by it. Perhaps the local schools could use it as a teaching project for the year and because the government is now offering many 'green' grants, it might be worthwhile to look into applying for a grant to create ongoing organic garden co-operatives in more than one community.

There are endless possibilities to what can be done and how an organic garden co-op can be planned and executed, to the mutual benefit of all. Once this concept catches on and more people become aware of its potential, there will be a larger demand for this service and it may offer an alternative to some who are seeking a more meaningful way of giving back to their communities and offering a helping hand to those in need.

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Copyright by Stephanie Stewart

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephanie_Stewart

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