Live Like Ally on Instagram
So you have become familiar with the word “permaculture,” but don’t exactly know what it all entails, right? Well, in permaculture the best way to learn about it from top to bottom is to take a Permaculture Design Course (PDC). Sometimes unless you are in the right circles it might be hard to pin down local courses. That is why Geoff Lawton’s online course is great!
Geoff is one of the founding members of permaculture and offers an all online PDC abundant with video lessons, live Q&As, and an online community to interact with.
If you are interested in diving deeper into the world of Permaculture, we recommend checking out what Geoff offers! 2019 enrollment is closed, but you can sign up for the 2020 notice list to be reminded when enrollment opens again at https://www.discoverpermaculture.com/pdc-2019.
#livelikeally #permaculture #geofflawton #pdc #permaculturedesigncourse #learnmore #online
Our Free Seed Project recipients are exploring new techniques and practices in the kitchen because of their abundance of produce! Check out this beautiful tomato sauce and start of sauerkraut Maggie created with her fresh veggies.
There are so many ways to preserve extra produce. What is your favorite preservation method?
#FreeSeedProject #LiveLikeAlly #sauerkraut #canning #preservation #freshproduce #organicproduce #growyourown #trysomethingnew
A message from @robjgreenfield:
This is my dream.
Abundant fruit growing on every street across the nation.
Healthy food at our finger tips.
Food growing freely all around us.
Independence from corrupt food corporations that are destroying our home.
No reason for children, elders, underrepresented communities, people experiencing homelessness, or anyone to go without fresh food.
Power in the hands of the people.
Nutrition in our food.
Health in our soil.
Food sovereign communities.
A common belief that food is a human right, not a commodity.
Non-ownership of food.
Local food systems by the people, for the people.
Food grown for nutrition and taste, not for shipping stability.
An equal acceptance of all food no matter its shape, color or size.
Diversity of species.
Homes for all the species of the earth.
People sharing the bounty in such abundance that money isn’t even a thought.
This is my dream.
That is my mission through Community Fruit Trees.
If this is your dream too, I want to help make it a reality.
I am looking for people who want to turn their streets into Community Fruit Tree streets by planting a fruit tree in every front yard on their block. Along with my friends at Live Like Ally, we’ll cover the costs. We’ve got you covered. We just need your dedication and determination and your dream.
Email [email protected] if you are dedicated to this dream.
Learn more at www.CommunityFruitTrees.org
Everything we do is for Ally.
A bright and wise soul who departed from the physical realm too early.
In loving memory of Ally Willen. Born 27 May 1994 – Lost to nature 24 April 2015
#LiveLikeAlly #inlovingmemory #nature #adventure #love #compassion #travel #eckerd #newzealand
The Free Seed Project encourages our recipients to share their harvests for a good cause! Pallabi in Wichita, Kansas donates extra produce she grows to her local food pantry. What a treat for them to receive fresh food! Do you donate food or volunteer at your local food pantry? -- “We have a food pantry set up near our community garden, and I donate the extra produce that comes from my garden.
I love to share my harvest with my friends and neighbors, too.
Really feeling accomplished and blessed.” -Pallabi, Kansas
#FreeSeedProject #LiveLikeAlly #foodshare #communitygarden #growfoodnotlawns #organic
Have you heard about the Green Riders? They are an open group of individuals who traverse the world doing Good Deeds on Bikes. This summer they biked through nine countries in Europe while living in service to others. They volunteered more than once a week, picked up trash along their route, and left every place better than they found it. Live Like Ally supports the Green Riders and can’t wait to see where their next journey of servitude will be!
A written summary of their trip can be found at http://robgreenfield.tv/greenriderseuropeendtour.
Image: The Green Riders show off their Free Seed Project shirts outside of an off-grid homestead where they volunteered for a day.
#LiveLikeAlly #DoGood #GreenRiders #GreenRidersEurope #bicycletouring #servitude #trashtag #moop #permaculture #volunteering
Maggie V. from New Jersey just received her Free Seed Project t-shirt! She is rocking it in front of her garden here. Looks like she had a very successful year of gardening!
If you are interested in joining our waiting list for the next round of seeds, please visit robgreenfield.tv/freeseedproject.
If you have already received seeds and are interested in receiving a free t-shirt, please email [email protected] for instructions.
Happy Autumn, everyone!
#LiveLikeAlly #FreeSeedProject #GrowYourOwn #equinox #growfoodnotlawns #harvest #communitygarden #permaculture
A couple of months ago we shared with you a story from Jason Burke who built his own Gardens for Single Moms with his Geography students in Pennsylvania. We have some updated photos showing how those gardens thrived and have a blog post to share with you as well! Check out the blog at http://robgreenfield.tv/inspired-by-gardens-for-single-moms/ and let us know if you feel inspired by his story, too. Spread the love! .
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#spreadthelove #livelikeally #gardensforsinglemoms #communitygarden #growyourown #volunteer #inspire
Cara from Michigan enjoys sharing her food grown from Free Seed Project seeds with her friends and neighbors. She clearly has a kind and giving heart! Thanks Cara! “My garden is going strong. Gifting tomatoes and cucumbers today to two young girls who enjoy fresh veggies. Made 14 quarts of pickles, some with the dill [from the Free Seed Project] for friends and family! I run a very small free clothing pantry and believe strongly in kindness and paying it forward. With your seeds I can now pass out fresh veggies! Thank you!” #FreeSeedProject #LiveLikeAlly #communitygarden #sharetheabundance #pickling #foodshare #growyourown #gardentotable
We at the Live Like Ally foundation think that planting fruit trees has some really great benefits! We would love to see every person planting a fruit tree in their front yard to share with the neighborhood or organize a local community orchard planting! Perhaps you already have a fruit tree or are planning to plant some, but are wondering the best way to care for them. Well, we have a couple of tips for you!
It is important to note that conditions widely vary by climate, but there are still a few key ingredients no matter where you live to growing a healthy fruit tree. After choosing a tree suitable for your climate and planting it properly, follow these tips for post-planting care.
1. Mulch, mulch, mulch! Mulch around your fruit tree will help keep the soil moist and aid in fertility. There are certainly correct and incorrect ways to mulch, so to learn more you can find a link to a great visual on our Community Fruit Tree Care Guide at robgreenfield.tv/communityfruittreecare.
2. Watering! Regularly watering a freshly planted tree will help its roots establish. We recommend watering a new tree 5-7 times per week for the first two weeks of its establishment. Climate and rainfall conditions will play a role in how often to water once the tree is established. Conversely, if you plant a bare-root/dormant fruit tree (one that is dormant) over-watering can actually be fatal, so only water as necessary (if at all) to keep the roots moist.
3. Compost. Adding compost before you mulch your tree will provide some added nutrients to give your fruit tree a boost. We recommend locally produced compost and not synthetic fertilizers.
4. Some trees require pruning for best results. This often varies by species, but most often it is good to prune while trees are dormant, and the purposes vary widely from removing diseased or dead limbs to structural purposes. You may find resources and guidance in the Community Fruit Tree Care Guide linked above.
We hope these points will help you grow thriving fruit trees! Be sure to check out our resource guide linked above for more in depth information, or reach out if you have any questions!
Community Fruit Trees are spreading across the USA!
Through our partnership with @RobjGreenfield, so far we have planted over 200 Community Fruit Trees and this fall we want to plant 100 more in YOUR communities.
Do you want fruit to be growing freely and abundantly for everyone in your community to enjoy? Do you want to make your community a happier, healthier and more sustainable place? Do you have the dedication and organizational skills to make it happen? If yes, then contact us at [email protected] We will cover the financial costs to help you plant delicious and nutritious food in your community.
Learn more about the program on our website: http://www.robgreenfield.tv/communityfruittrees
And then if this sounds like something you'd LOVE to do then send us an email and we'll share more details with you.
Look at this beautiful salad made from Free Seed Project tomatoes and basil grown at Joy Springs Farm in Texas! We hope everyone has been able to enjoy a salad from their garden this year!
#FreeSeedProject #LiveLikeAlly #Straightfromthegarden #growyourown #gardentotable #organicgardening #homesteading
With a heart of gold and without discrimination, Ally rooted herself in service of the biosphere and all of its inhabitants. Through our projects we hope that others will be enabled and inspired to give themselves in some way to make our beautiful planet a better place in Ally’s name. Thank you for continuing on her story.
#LiveLikeAlly #dogood #leavegoodfingerprints #spreadlove #inspireothers #plantagarden #growyourown #selflessness #community
Tonda is using her seeds from the Free See Project for good! Thanks for sharing with those in need in your community, Tonda! We support your mission. "The mission of the St. Isidore Garden is to provide fresh produce to the needy in our community. The garden is located at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Warner Robins, GA. The location in the center of town allows community members to pick fresh produce themselves, which many have cited is therapeutic for them. Produce is also picked by volunteers at least three times a week and distributed to the Christian Service Center, the United Methodist Soup Kitchen, Thanksgiving boxes, community food drives, etc. The garden is solely supported by donations, grants, and fundraising. The St. Isidore Garden team would like to thank Live Like Ally and the Free Seed Project for their seed donation!" #FreeSeedProject #LiveLikeAlly #LeaveGoodFingerprints #communitygarden #foodbank #growyourown #foodshare #givethanks #selfless #organic
When you hear the word “pollinator” you may immediately think of honey bees, but did you know that bats, birds, butterflies, moths, ants, flies, native bees, and other types of insects and animals are also very important pollinators?
According to the U.S. Forest Service, “Animal pollinators play a crucial role in flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. Most plants require the assistance of pollinators to produce seeds and fruit. About 80% of all flowering plants and over three-quarters of the staple crop plants that feed humankind rely on animal pollinators.
Pollinators visit flowers in search of food, mates, shelter and nest-building materials. The energy that powers pollinator growth, metamorphosis, flight and reproduction comes from sugars in nectar, and the proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals from pollen grains.
The secret bond of the partnership is that neither plant nor pollinator populations can exist in isolation – should one disappear, the other is one generation away from disaster.” There are many choices to be made and actions to be taken to help support our diverse array of pollinators. These include: -planting a large diversity of native wildflowers and plants to provide food and habitat for native pollinators
-provide/maintain diverse nesting sites which may include allowing parts of the yard to go wild
-entirely refrain from using pesticides at home and buy organic and local food when possible
-educating friends, family, and neighbors on the importance of pollinators and why we should boycott harmful practices such as using pesticides
The list goes on, but adopting any of these practices will aid in the survival of these creatures who are so vital to the entire biosphere.
#pollinators #LiveLikeAlly #wildflowers #endangeredspecies #plantagarden #groworganic
Image: "Our Future Flies on the Wings of Pollinators"
This poster is made available by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Botanical Gardens, and the NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign). Artist: Paul Mirocha
All we can do is what we can. Keep doing your best... and plant some fruit trees! .
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#livelikeally #plantmorefruittrees #savetheworld #doyourbest #dogood #growyourown #growfood #organic
Have you been inspired by our Community Fruit Tree program and want to plant some in your community? We have advice to help you!
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Start by searching for a local nursery to you. One that emphasizes in growing fruit trees is best, but any nursery that sells fruit trees will do. Contact them for advice about the best time to plant and what fruit trees they sell. It is very important to confirm that the fruit trees they offer will actually survive and thrive in your area and to only buy ones that do. Then set up a time and date to either pick up your trees or have them delivered, and you’re pretty much ready to go! Often nurseries will also sell bulk mulch you can buy by the yard, so a pick-up truck is handy to fill up with mulch (which is very important to the health and survival of your fruit trees). Be sure to check out Rob Greenfield’s guide at www.robgreenfield.tv/communityfruittreecare for further advice!
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If you are in the Orlando area we can recommend some great nurseries that provided all of our Community Fruit Trees.. First on the list is @ANaturalFarm. This nursery specializes in fruit trees, and even better, educates on and promotes the importance of permaculture! They also sell a number of other edible plants, so if you are really looking to turn your yard into a productive food-forest, look no further! Learn more: www.anaturalfarm.com
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Second, we sourced from Green’s Nursery just outside of Orlando in Zellwood, FL. They have a great selection of subtropical fruit tree species including low-chill hour peaches. They were great to work with and delivered dozens of fruit trees right to our front door. Learn more: http://www.greensnursery.com/
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We hope you can find great nurseries like these in your area! If you plant Community Fruit Trees, be sure to email [email protected] with information about the tree and the address so that we can add it to our CFT map! (fallingfruit.org/communityfruittrees)
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#communityfruittrees #livelikeally #buylocal #shoplocal #permaculture #nursery #planttrees #sharefood
Carol, a Free Seed Project recipient in New Jersey, used her seeds to help her local community garden flourish! Read her story below!
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“I've been gardening for most of my adult life, I love growing and sharing fresh fruits and vegetables from my home garden with all my friends, family and neighbors. The 7th Avenue community garden here in Long Branch, NJ has been around for about 15 years, but I never knew about it until 3 years ago. I started volunteering and helping local people plant, tend and harvest crops. We have about 75 private family plots that whatever you grow you keep. We have 2 very large community plots that are planted for the veggies to be given out on a daily basis to whoever needs food. If we have extra we deliver to a few different local soup kitchens and food pantries. We have a few local farms that donate the plants to the garden for us to grow.
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The director of the garden, Jake Jones, grew up in the south where there was always fresh produce. He saw the need for fresh food here in the city and started the garden through a city grant along with the help of Lisa Wilson from an agency called Family Success Center. I'm now on the executive board of FSC so that I can learn more about how all of the grants and projects in town work and also to be able to help more people in need.
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One thing that was lacking was seeds for the gardeners to plant themselves. The Free Seed Project was a wonderful surprise that I've utilized in both my home garden and the community garden. This year we are teaching the gardeners how to let a few plants go to seed and save them for next years crops. I also managed to acquire donated seeds from a local store. As I said, I grow at both places and there is so much produce I just put up social media posts telling people to come get some and I give most of it away. I'll also bring my extras from home to the community site and pass it out to those who want it.”
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Carol is a beaming example of how to utilize The Free Seed Project as way to give back to your local community. Thank you Carol for sharing the joy in growing your own food!
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#growyourown #livelikeally #freeseedproject #communitygarden #community
The Audubon Park Covenant Church spearheaded by Pastor Sarah Robinson in Orlando, FL is an amazing example of how a church can facilitate creating and building strength in community. .
Sarah opens her church doors to groups like @FleetFarming, @OrlandoPermaculture, Community Fruit Trees, The Free Seed Project, and the Audubon Park Garden District (@hello.apgd) who all host meetings and events at the church. Beyond that the church yard itself is a glowing example of how we can turn our yards into more harmonious places for people and animals. The church hosts a Fleet Farming garden whose harvests are used by the church and also get sold at local farmer’s markets, there is beautiful pollinator garden that provides food and shelter for our important native pollinators, and the sidewalks are lined with over 25 Community Fruit Trees for anybody to enjoy! .
Imagine if every community had a church like this, where anybody in their authentic self is welcomed with open arms; where food is growing right in the yard for church and community members to enjoy; and where progressive community groups are welcomed to utilize the space. Community is everything, and we recognize Pastor Sarah and her incredible efforts to bring hers closer together while putting great focus on caring for our earth.
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To learn more watch this video feature by Rob Greenfield of the church https://youtu.be/C7trsxd9ikY
(link in bio) .
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#livelikeally #growfoodnotlawns #fleetfarming #community #permaculture #earthcare #peoplecare #communityfruittrees #audubonpark
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Photo credit John VonMotius @Johnvonmutius
We are so elated to have received this story from Jason Burke in Pennsylvania. He had come across our Gardens for Single Moms program and became inspired to create gardens for single parents in his city, too! Even better he got his high school students involved. To know that our efforts with this project reaches beyond the Audubon Park Community humbles us.
Jason is a teach of AP Human Geography, and ofen covers concepts like sustainable agriculture, food insecurity, and food deserts. He learned of Gardens for Single Moms while covering the agriculture unit of the course. He says, "Growing up in a single mother's house, I can acutely sympathize with how hard it is for a single mom to offer healthy meals to their family. My mom worked full time, and during tax season, she worked two jobs. I give her so much credit for those years because even though there was a lot of frozen dinners and fast food on our table, she tried really hard to make sure there was some sort of salad or canned veggies and that the meal was as balanced as it could be under the circumstances. Needless to say, a garden was not happening in our yard, although it would have been wonderful to have." .
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Having a personal understanding of the importance of this project, he felt inspired to build 100 gardens over time to honor his mother and all single parents out there. He presented the idea to his students and they, too, were enthusiastic. His Geography Club made brochures and presented it as a community outreach project. They randomly chose two families to be this year’s recipients of the Geography Club's single parent gardens. .
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"We had almost everything donated and we used our own labor to install the gardens. We also planted five deck boxes to present to a local immigrant help group (mostly from Africa) to bring some fresh veggies to their apartment porches.
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In the end, I think the project was a tremendous success and I look forward to bigger things in the future!”
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Jason is hopeful and determined to succeed in building 100 gardens for his community. He even has ideas to expand the program to local nursing homes. We thank Jason and his students for spreading this mission.