How to start a Crop Swap

Author - Tony Damico

Location - Long Beach, CA

Neighbors, backyard and community gardeners, and urban farmers come together regularly in Long Beach, California to share their bounty at monthly crop swaps! These types of neighborhood exchanges can build community resilience across demographics, and often generate new projects to support community health. 

1. Outreach and planning (about 1-2 months)

1. Identify fruit trees and visible gardens in your neighborhood.
2. Knock on some doors, and let your neighbors know of the idea.
3. Start a virtual group to connect about what’s growing
4. Discuss what the rules of your swap will be, in terms of what’s allowed and what is not - typically, naturally grown fruits, veggies, nuts, herbs, and seedlings are what we’ve seen shared. 
5. If you have urban farms in your area, encourage them to participate with any excess they may have. Sometimes, they’ll just want you to pick it up!
6. Reach out to local organizations who already work with diverse communities to let them know you’re planning a swap, and why it is beneficial.
7. Once you have some people interested, identify a regular time and place that works well for most of the group.

(ie: Front yards, public park spaces, community gardens, and community centers all work well if they are walkable, have parking access, public transit. Consider places communities are already accessing regularly!) 

2. Promoting the swap (about 4 weeks)

1. Make a flier, using a photo of fresh produce to generate interest.
2. Be sure your flier is able to be printed, as well as posted online.
3. Make the flier available in the languages that are spoken in the neighborhood.
4. Encourage organizations you’ve contacted previously to help get the word out, or to organize a group to participate with your neighborhood
5. Offer a clear description of what a crop swap is, what the rules are to potential participants.
6. Consider posting the fliers at local shops and stores to increase impressions.

3. Hosting the swap (typically once a month)

1. Secure some initial contributions, and let your community know some of what will be shared. Typically, neighbors will be sharing home-grown fruits, nuts, veggies, and culinary herbs. Seedlings and edible plants can also be amazing!
2. After having everyone place their contributions on a central table, offer the chance for everyone to introduce themselves and describe what they brought, as well as any special tips on how to prepare or use it.
3. Offer a clear start time for swapping to begin, and encourage everyone to take a modest amount of each item of interest, and wait to see about going in for “seconds” after everyone’s had a first pass at the table. 
4. Consider adding special workshops, talks, and demonstrations before or after the swap so that your community can become more confident growing and preparing fresh, seasonal ingredients from the swaps.