The next time you go outside, imagine that everyone’s yard is a vegetable garden.
This is the dream of Vegetable Patch, a two-year-old business that uses unwanted garden spaces across Ottawa to plant a variety of vegetables.
“Think about how much food could truly be grown locally,” says Jesse Boynton Payne, the founder of the business, who also works in web design in Kanata.
The project began in 2008, when he returned to Ottawa after a year working on an organic farm in British Columbia.
“I loved it and wanted to try something on my own,” Payne says.
The first objective was to construct a business model that made sense, Payne says.
He set up a website called vegetablepatch.ca, asking people to share their extra land with him to plant a vegetable garden, agreeing to complete the labour himself.
In return, they would receive a weekly basket of fresh produce, while Payne would sell most of the vegetables at food markets and roadside stands.
He says the response was astounding.
“I think I hit the nail on the head with what people are looking for today,” Payne says.
“Within two hours of starting the website, it was all over chats and forums. The next day I had my first offer.”
However, his roadside stand brought in very little income.
“Three hundred cars could drive by and maybe one stops,” Payne says.
The method now used to make money off the website was inspired by trends in online shopping.
During Vegetable Patch’s second summer in 2009, Ottawa residents could sign up for a delivery service.
Participants would receive weekly or bi-weekly baskets of vegetables grown across the city.
“It would have been so much harder without the Internet,” Payne says.
“I didn’t actually have to do any real advertising.”
Payne says he is optimistic as Vegetable Patch’s third summer approaches.
“Most people donating space are very enthusiastic,” he says.
“All I wanted was to make an impact in Ottawa. The fact that it is beginning to make sense financially is a bonus.”
People have taken notice of the success of such an innovative business.
Payne says he has received calls from people in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto and California to open a branch in their city or for advice on how to start something similar on their own.
The project inspired a Toronto-based group to start their own program, called YoungUrbanFarmers.com.
“I’d love to be able to start branches in other cities,” Payne says.
“One day, maybe I can live off this business alone.”
When the funding is available, Payne says it would go to more efficient equipment, larger trucks and an education program where people can learn about urban farming first-hand.
Vegetable Patch is currently selling subscriptions for their basket delivery service and looking for additional garden spaces this summer.
Customers are also able to customise the contents of their baskets every week, requesting their personal favourites.
For those wishing to donate their yard, Payne is willing to build a garden regardless of the reason.
“I had one person call me just because he didn’t want to mow his lawn.”