A brief history of Grow Gainesville

Grow Gainesville exists to encourage the communal aspects of homesteading skills that promote self-sufficiency and sustainability, while making that growing part a little easier, too.

Bullet Point Rules of Discourse can be found below-and a fuller version under the “FILES” tab at the top of our page.

Our aim as a network, is to help connect gardeners & homesteaders on-line and face to face. As well as to provide the supplies, resources and access to knowledge needed to grow food in the city and nearby areas.
Gardening though at moments solitary is in its essence a communal act with every seed carrying the long history of humans working together with plants and each other.

The Story of Grow Gainesville – Or -
How to Start a Local Food Security and Community Resilience Movement.

First gather a few people around a table, get them a pitcher of beer. Then ask the question “How can we get more people growing their own food? Then, meet up with a small local “prepper” group. Toss in a random bunch of social activists who want to eat clean healthy food and a local food movement is begun.

After creating a list of things required for community resilience and giving it a catchy name. Build a website and create a Facebook group and collaborate with that MeetUp group.

And you have – Grow Gainesville. From the beginning meeting each other out in the real world was the key to actually making it work. Getting people off line – at least once a month in the same place at the same time. No matter what, someone would be there.

That’s how the 3rd Monday Meeting began. February 2012, in the parking lot of Highlands Presbyterian Church. Ideas were tossed around, plans were made, along with a Barter Market every 3rd Saturday. Adding Extra Special Workshops as the interest grew.

Since Grow Gainesville is NOT a 501(c) and fundraising is not a priority, we’re able to connect and support all the OTHER local food production organizations and groups, and outlets to create a network of information, assistance, and connectivity without competing for members or money.

Beginning with: Backyard food production (vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy), and seed security. Then expanding towards, health, labor, barter systems. Including skill set identification & training.
One by one but in parallel.

New groups formed with different individuals taking on leadership focused around their personal passions. Including local seed saving & development of acclimated seed, home grown meat and communal processing, pollinator and ornamental gardening. And a network of Sweat Equity Work Parties to create, maintain, and harvest our food with and for each other.

Twelve years and several meeting re-locations later, Grow Gainesville has just over 9800 Facebook members.

We are now meeting at the VFW POST 2811 1150 NE Waldo Rd Gainesville, fl.