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Bringing the Farm to the Front Porch

Posted by Brandy Booth on

Porch sitting is a strong part of American history, and it all started right here in the South. What started as a way to keep cool in the summers eventually turned into an architectural movement due to the vibrant communities formed from simple front porch visits.  With our busy lifestyles and technology, the porches remain, but the visits have dwindled. Lindsey Boothe wants to change this for her community. Inspired by the Little Free Library (@littlefreelibrary), Lindsey has started the Front Porch Farm Stand as a place to meet together and share the fruits of your labor with one another. Instead of books, you will find everything from garden bounty, jams, eggs, baked goods - you name it. You will even find a recipe box for recipe swaps - neighbors can even find her cobbler recipe! 

Lindsey’s inspiration started with a simple desire to have a swap of summer garden bounty in an effort to decrease food waste and meet her neighbors. She also hopes that her neighbors will not only participate by picking items but also bringing and dropping off items for others. The “rules” are similar to many of the “Little Free _____” initiatives, such as leave one, take one. However, given the history of the front porch, she wanted to take it a step further and invite her neighbors to her front porch. By doing this, she hopes to inspire others to decrease their food waste, create their own Stand, and extend this same invitation to their neighbors. She even offers free plans on her website for others to make their own Front Porch Farm Stand. And the best part of it all, she says, is the opportunity to get to know her neighbors more.

 

Want to make your own farm stand? Lindsey will be partnering with local pyrography artist Lauren Concepcion to lead a workshop at The Burritt Folk School on September 18th. Adult participants will assemble their very own stand and then create a wood-burned sign. Check the Burritt on the Mountain website here for details--> https://bit.ly/3wSsEqj. Or you can also visit Lindsey’s web page at www.alabamatreenware.com/front-porch-farm-stand and download your own plans to get started. 

 

Follow The Front Porch Farmstand on Instagram at @frontporchfarmstand.al. You can also contact Lindsey via email at alabamatreenware@gmail.com for any questions concerning her inspirational front porch project.