Green Living

As they say, when the times get tough, the tough get…sharing. That’s right. One positive side effect of this recession is more people are getting together and pooling what they have. So, for Valentine’s Day, maybe we can ditch romantic exclusivity and share the love—and other stuff—all around.

Here are a few places emerging (some in their beta stages) that are all about sharing resources for the common good.

There are neighborhoods and there are neighbors’ goods. If you’re in Southern California, at NeighborGoods you can find and borrow them or lend yours out.  It hooks you up with those who have what you need or need what you have, helping to arrange a barter, borrow or loan. Anything but a buy. Perfect for that camping tent, stud finder or ladder you only need once in a  blue moon. I also like that there are groups to join or form, a chance to create a kind of lending circle.

I knocked on a neighbor’s door for some brown sugar a few years ago, but realistically it doesn’t happen all that often, and not just because I’ve ditched sugar for agave. Share Some Sugar reinvigorates the idea of neighbors who share. Its nudges you to knock on doors and open yours; you just get to do it online in case the person literally next door doesn’t have what you need and vice versa.  It lengthens the reach of a lending hand.

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At VeggieTrader, the stuff to  barter (or buy/sell) is foodstuff. It matches up growers nearby who have extra lemons weighing down their backyard tree or enough salad greens from the garden to feed an army of rabbits. When your bumper crop would overwhelm your compost bin, why not share the bounty?

Those of us in apartments long for some dirt in which to dig. If only some big-hearted person with a big garden would share a corner of her plot for our carrots and cabbage. Maybe she will if you find her on GrowFriend.  It’s designed to partner those who want to garden with those who have the land to make it happen. A match made in paradise.

Of course, you can share without a website to help you. Throw a clothing swap, create or join a Time Bank (like the one in Echo Park), leave herbs from your kitchen garden on an unsuspecting doorstep or try out a carpool or rideshare (here’s one we’ve written about.)

For a more comprehensive resource on how to make lives and communities better designed for sharing, there’s Shareable. I’ve been intrigued reading it and excited to be contributing as well.

To shooting for sharing the love this Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Tags: borrowing sites, community, free stuff, garden sharing, Green Community, growfriend, lending sites, neighborgoods, share some sugar, shareable, sharing, sharing websites, veggie trader