One city is starting a movement to create 15,000 backyard (and balcony) farmers

The Ritchay family’s garden.

15Thousand Farmers – Planting A Seed To Feed Ourselves – Louisville, Ky

by Greg & Michelle Vittitow,
Impact Dash
March 11th, 2010

The Vision:

15Thousand Farmers helps create, empower, and inspire 15,000 new, organic, neighborhood backyard/front yard farmers in Louisville, KY to feed their families and themselves and to give away! How? By using simple and easy instructions, checklists and materials and ongoing support provided through local organic growers and resources that will provide everything needed to start Easy Farms in our yards, on decks or in community gardens.

The cramped, dimly lit basement of Clifton Unitarian Church seems the last place a potential farming community would begin. But there we were, watching from the back of the room as people poured in on the morning of February 20 to learn more about 15Thousand Farmers, a grassroots, community movement forming in Louisville, KY.

Such movements are common in this city known for its passion and can-do attitude, but this event was exceptional. A seemingly endless stream of aspiring backyard farmers filled literally every empty space in the room, most standing.

Sitting in our highly coveted chairs, Gary Heine, a 15Thousand Farmers founding sponsor and co-owner of Louisville’s Heine Brothers’ Coffee, explained the vision of this new organization to create and support 15,000 organic backyard farmers in Louisville. It will provide everything necessary for anyone to start a simple, organic backyard garden – easy instructions, materials, support from volunteers and a website where farmers can connect and support each other.

“The problems of the world are so big, how could I possibly make a difference?” he asked, before explaining the benefits of a “kindergarten level” backyard garden.

See the rest of the article here.

See 15Thousand Farmers website here.