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Free Resources, Mutual Aid, and Why Gardening Is a Community Practice

  • Writer: Stephanie Hanlon
    Stephanie Hanlon
  • Feb 26
  • 3 min read

One of the biggest myths about growing your own food is that you have to do it alone — that it’s an individual project requiring individual wealth, individual land, and individual expertise.


In reality, food growing has always been communal.


Seeds are meant to be shared. Knowledge is meant to be passed down. Tools are meant to circulate. When we grow food together, costs drop, success rates rise, and resilience spreads beyond a single household.


Gardeners Are Sharers (By Nature)

If you’re new to gardening, here’s something you should know early: gardeners love to trade. Extra seeds, cuttings, plants, tools, advice — people who grow food tend to be generous, especially with beginners.


When I started my own garden and was searching for native plants, neighbors showed up with what they had. Not because they were asked to, but because sharing is built into this culture.


This is how food systems worked long before stores replaced neighbors.


Local Resource: Our Giving Garden

One local resource I want to highlight is Our Giving Garden:👉 https://www.ourgivinggarden.org/


In addition to seed sharing and community growing, Our Giving Garden maintains a 24/7, no-questions-asked food pantry for unhoused neighbors and anyone experiencing food insecurity.


This matters.


Food sovereignty isn’t just about future harvests — it’s about making sure people can eat today. Mutual aid and food growing aren’t separate efforts; they’re part of the same ecosystem.


A garden that feeds only one household is a start. A garden that feeds a community is a safeguard.


Free Materials: Chip Drop

Another resource I strongly recommend is Chip Drop:👉 https://getchipdrop.com/

Chip Drop connects you with local tree companies who need to get rid of wood chips. They’ll dump a load on your property for free.


A warning: it’s a lot. Only sign up if you have the space and the ability to spread it.

Wood chips are one of the best long-term soil builders available. They retain moisture, suppress weeds, and slowly break down into organic matter. Over time, they turn poor soil into living soil.


This is one of the clearest examples of turning someone else’s “waste” into abundance.


Seed Libraries and Public Resources

Many public libraries now offer free seed libraries, where you can take seeds, grow them, and sometimes return saved seeds for others.


Local resources include:


These systems only work if people use them. Taking seeds is not selfish — it’s participation.


Trading as a Way of Life

Beyond formal programs, informal trading is where the real magic happens. Seeds for cuttings. Extra tomatoes for eggs. Knowledge for help spreading mulch.

This kind of exchange rebuilds trust between neighbors. It turns food from a commodity back into a relationship.


And that, quietly, is where the real power is.


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Revolution Garden is a column documenting my journey toward food independence and environmental stewardship — a process of relearning what our collective ancestors practiced for thousands of years: a mutually beneficial relationship with land and community.


Visit the Historic Mableton Trading Post on Mable Street near Peak Street to trade seeds, vegetables, books, and art.


If you’d like to learn more about me or support this work:

 
 
 

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