Whether Austin, Texas, or Iowa City, Iowa, there are times when it’s okay to take a tomato from your neighbor’s garden, says Civil Eats, describing “a new spin on the community garden.” An Iowa City nonprofit, Backyard Abundance, provides seedlings for free to residents who are willing to plant vegetables where passersby can harvest them. The plants come with “Pick Me!” signs, says Civil Eats. “Most of our front yards aren’t doing anything for us,” said Fred Meyer, director of Backyard Abundance.
“The Pick Me! initiative was inspired in part by the Food is Free Project in Austin, a nonprofit that creates wicking bed gardens with reclaimed materials, such as wooden pallets and political signs,” writes Kate Dougherty. “To date, participants have planted over 200 gardens in the area, and the organization has launched an IndieGogo campaign to support a Teaching Farm that will cultivate the next generation of urban farmers.” Food is Free has helped launch similar projects in other cities.