The bottom line

Last year, we (the Landless Gardeners) attempted to garden four plots on a $0 budget. Because of all of the wonderful people who gave us support (through offering up land, donating plants and seeds, lending tools and dropping off alpaca gold) a lot of our expenses were covered... but not all. When we needed money to be shelled out, members offered their own support, volunteering their dollars to buy those extra lettuce seeds or the lime we needed to amend the plots. As a group, it may have seemed to be a free summer, but we all recognize the necessary inputs that go into keeping a vegetable garden. Last year--in spurts throughout the summer--we as a group spent more than $200 (without counting labour or counting those generous donations and loans).

This year, we are asking participants to contribute a small fee of $20 simply to cover the costs of keeping a garden. No profits are being made... just good old fashioned responsibility & expense sharing. If at the end of the season, money remains we'll redistribute it equally among members.

And in the name of education, keeping close watch on our expenses this summer will mean a better understanding of what it truly takes (monetarily, anyway) to grow a garden. We'll certainly keep everyone posted on our results.