Listen to our interview with WYPR’s Lisa Morgan! Our segment starts 10 minutes in…
Check out this interview and discussion we had with Philadelphia-based environment blog Green Limbs! Blogger Lauren Leonard tells us that there’s plenty of unused land in Philly, and we’re excited to see We Patch listings popping up around the city. Keep them coming!
Who pays to water your patch?
We received an excellent question from We Patch member Cindy T. We thought it would be appropriate to share the question and response with the We Patch community both for your benefit and for your insights. Read on!
Hello, I’m considering offering my garden to a planter. Can you give some advice on how the water bill is generally handled? Thanks.
Take care, Cindy
***
Hi Cindy,
thanks for you message. We’re glad to hear that you are considering offering your space to a gardener in your community. We Patch relies on people like you to help provide the land needed to foster local, sustainable agriculture. Thank you!
Your question about water usage is poignant. Naturally, that usage will depend on the size of the patch and the types of produce being cultivated. The amount of water needed to sustain an average patch (no larger than 250 square feet) is insubstantial compared to a household’s typical water consumption. We encourage partners to cover this minimal expense as part of their contribution to the partnership.
If the patch you are offering is very large, or if you prefer not to cover the expense, then you have several options. First, you could stipulate that you keep a greater percentage of the produce to offset the cost of water usage. Second, you could simply request that your planter pay an appropriate amount for the water that he or she will use. Third, you could invest in a rain barrel or other water conservation system that will help provide water for your garden and lawn in perpetuity.
We Patch offers guidelines for planters and partners to use as the basis of their agreement with one another, but ultimately we hope you will work together to determine the terms of your partnership.
Thank you again for your participation, and please let us know if we can be of any further help to you. We look forward to hearing about your garden in the future!
Were excited to get some press in Philly! Now we need to generate more listings there to meet demand. Tell your friends in Philadelphia about We Patch, and let’s get some new gardens started!
