Landshare schemes

Landshare schemes put people who have land they are not using in touch with people nearby who are wanting to cultivate their own fruit and vegetables.

The landowner does not charge any money for sharing their land but often will receive something like 20% share of the produce. Land offered for growing space for others can be a part of garden, or a larger more public space, such as the area around a church or village hall which can support several growers.

The largest of these schemes in the UK was Landshare which was started by River Cottage and launched through the TV show in 2009. It grew into a large and thriving community of growers, sharers and helpers, but the scheme was ended in 2016. There are also some Garden Share schemes across the UK, many of which have arisen through the Transition Town Movement. These schemes are local initiatives which link up people who have unused areas of their garden with people living nearby who are committed to growing their own food but otherwise lack access to growing spaces.