Call for ideas, suggestions, guidance

mensplace · June 11, 2014

I know virtually nothing about state or federal grants, much less gaining support, assistance and financial commitments across branches of government, various departments, corporations, and other organizations that work together to launch new programs. However, as I look across the senior community, the disabled, the needy, and families simply doing their best to make it week to week with ever rising costs of healthy food...especially those which could assist in both improving American diets and health...I am convinced that there is so much, literally from the ground up, that could be done to economically assist in essentially turn key gardening units that would be sized upon the family size, dietary needs, and space availability.

Currently, most approaching gardening resort to in ground, labor, chemical, fertilizer based, hybrid dependent approaches. This is needless for the small family. Too, few communities have processes in place to develop safe alternatives to in ground soil. Instead of converting the endless mountains of waste into compost, most municipalities would rather generate methane generating waste sites. This could mostly be used to make compost that would serve those family garden units.

So, my idea would be standardized, scalable above ground packaged systems, that would be filled with virtually free compost and used to provide those referenced above with the ability to assure seasonable, balanced produce at minimal cost.
What would be involved? Easy to assemble raised bed frames, the free compost, seed and a minimum of work.

I am sure there are many organizations that could work together while creating deliverables that would put such a garden into place within a week of starting. The trick would be how to fund and grow such a program through coordination with business and industry? Your thoughts and suggestions?

June 11, 2014	#1
mensplace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,013	Call for ideas, suggestions, guidance I know virtually nothing about state or federal grants, much less gaining support, assistance and financial commitments across branches of government, various departments, corporations, and other organizations that work together to launch new programs. However, as I look across the senior community, the disabled, the needy, and families simply doing their best to make it week to week with ever rising costs of healthy food...especially those which could assist in both improving American diets and health...I am convinced that there is so much, literally from the ground up, that could be done to economically assist in essentially turn key gardening units that would be sized upon the family size, dietary needs, and space availability. Currently, most approaching gardening resort to in ground, labor, chemical, fertilizer based, hybrid dependent approaches. This is needless for the small family. Too, few communities have processes in place to develop safe alternatives to in ground soil. Instead of converting the endless mountains of waste into compost, most municipalities would rather generate methane generating waste sites. This could mostly be used to make compost that would serve those family garden units. So, my idea would be standardized, scalable above ground packaged systems, that would be filled with virtually free compost and used to provide those referenced above with the ability to assure seasonable, balanced produce at minimal cost. What would be involved? Easy to assemble raised bed frames, the free compost, seed and a minimum of work. I am sure there are many organizations that could work together while creating deliverables that would put such a garden into place within a week of starting. The trick would be how to fund and grow such a program through coordination with business and industry? Your thoughts and suggestions?