We teach neighborhoods to grow food and become more educated participants in food systems.
Teaching families to grow food saves residents money and relieves financial strain. Making local food accessible to the neighborhood and teaching how to utilize fresh produce promotes sustainable healthy eating habits. We connect participants to the challenges of agriculture, agriculture’s role in food systems and agriculture’s ever changing role in climate change.
Connecting neighbor to neighbor is essential to The Tiny Fields Project’s success. The project does not end with the preparation of beds and distribution of seed. Using social media, we take an innovative approach to continued learning. In our sample Tiny Field, we grow the same crops participants grow, allowing us to send out alerts and prompts, such as, “Time to hill your potatoes,” and, “Watch for ripening green beans.” Online tutorials are regularly posted, along with recipes and opportunity for discussion. Tiny Fielders receive regular check-ins and may ask questions through social media at any time. Tiny Field participants glean lifelong knowledge along with their heads of cabbage and piles of cucumbers.