Grow Food, Not Lawns

Did you know that the typical American meal travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to table?

Cities all around the world are facing the challenge of food security and growing and harvesting local food might just be the answer. Thankfully, one group is stepping up and creating sustainable solutions that communities everywhere can use.

Meet IDEAS for US

Charity Pot partner IDEAS for US is shifting how communities grow, harvest and see food. Their Fleet Farming program is using one of North America’s most underutilized resources to feed our communities. Our current food system is full of inefficiencies many of which stem from fossil fuel use during production and transportation of food. However, the answer is right in our own front yards: lawns!

Each year, 40 million acres of grass take in three million tons of chemical fertilizers and 30,000 tons of pesticides, while using up to 800 million gallons of gas just for mowing. The Fleet Farming project relies on “micro-farming” to transform the lawns of residential, business, or communal lands into community-driven urban farm plots. So, instead of meals travelling 1,500 miles from farm to plate, Fleet Farming’s produce is hyper-local—and everything grown is sold at local markets and restaurants within a 5-mile radius. Their mission is to reduce water consumption, CO2 emissions, and gasoline reliance.

Local changes mean global benefits

Micro-farming does more than simply help local communities. It stimulates the economy by providing resources for businesses who are interested in joining the local food movement, it empowers and brings together people in the community, and Fleet Farming’s internship program teaches youth about the importance of growing food organically and locally to get them ready as the next generation of farmers.

Want to get involved?

Fleet Farming offers a variety of ways to get involved at every level. If you live in or Orlando, Florida you can volunteer at a SWARM ride or donate your lawn and begin your own journey as a local urban farmer. Not in Orlando? You can also make a donation or start a new branch thanks to Fleet Farming’s social franchise plan that’ll allow other communities to begin their own journeys. And if none of those work for you, pick up a pot of Charity Pot Body Lotion, and we’ll donate 100 percent of the sales price to groups just like Fleet Farming to help them continue the work their doing!