The sharing of surplus crops was a very common phenomenon in human communities but had been pushed into the background in modern Western societies.
However, there are several reasons to change this! One being that not everyone can deal with all the different aspects of managing this large process. It is more effective to have some division of labor within a community. In this way, everyone can put more emphasis on their individual abilities and interests .
It also often occurs that a crop is lost (for example, due to a late frost or a pest), or on the contrary, that there are more yields on a farm/garden than needed (think, for example, of an adult cherry tree).
These exchanges (besides making a significant contribution to the actual food supply of members) can strengthen relationships within the community, which is at least as important an aspect. Moreover, probably in the vast majority of communities, this simple activity has always been one of the main unifying forces – so let’s live with it too!
We can even consider the possibility of exchange when planning our gardens – consider, for example, whether it is worthwhile for us to plant the same kind of fruit tree that we already have in our community. In a living community based on personal contact, supply and demand often meet on their own, but if necessary, feel free to use social portals: their local groups or even our platform (Micelio community) are suited for this purpose!
You can read more about the exchange of crops in the chapter on urban permaculture in the book “The Garden of Gaia” – and what is described there is, of course, equally valid in both rural and urban environments.
Some examples for these Portals: Kiutak (HUN) – <Our Street> or Nextdoor platform and App in 11 countries around the world. (United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Canada.