INPIRATION: Guerilla Gardener Rises Again

Woke up this morning fearing I'd made a blunder. Three months into this rental situation and I am struggling to get by. I chose this little North End bungalow because it's a good neighborhood, near my daughter's school, close to friends as I recouperate from divorce, with an enourmous backyard and potting shed. It's the third time I've lived on 23rd Street in the past 15 years, creeping steadily northward. It feels right. I knew the rent was on the highest side of my budget but I figured it was worth it for both my daughter and me.

But is it?

The backyard is large, but I rarely entertain in it and 2/3 of it is invaded by weeds. I have piles of pavers, piles of river rock, one raised bed filled with the pile of compost left in the corner of the yard by a previous tenant and mostly unplanted due to the late frosts, unseasonably cool weather and steady rains. Aside from a couple of bell peppers and nasturtiums, it's the weeds that have really made the most of the compost and rains. There are elms two or three inches thick that need to be removed. The flower beds need mulch. I don't have a budget for that. It's overwhelming.

And waking up and taking in the sorry shape of my bank accounts I feared I'd romanticized, bit off more than I could chew, committed to 8 months of penury for the privilege of a backyard pain in the ass, followed by a costly move in fall when the lease is up, to more affordable housing in another neighborhood.

But I love this neighborhood. This is exactly where I want to live right now. I just need a few hundred more a month. Is that so hard? Surely there's a way. I looked at part time jobs online for a couple of hours before work. Not much worth doing, and my full-time job and custody calendar make it hard to commit to a reasonable schedule. Went to work depressed. Cried in frustration at lunchtime.

On the way home thought that maybe I could find a farmer and in November when the lease is up I could move onto the farm, pay rent and bring some off-farm income and free labor to a fledgling sustainable farm operation. Maybe I could get a grant to do a seed study or volunteer at various farms just to get networked. Tallied what I could bring to the table: off-farm income, labor, marketing, photography, building skills, plant knowledge. I've always had a green thumb. Runs in the family. Maybe I could find a partner and an opportunity.

I went to this Treasure Valley Food Coalition event tonight thinking I'd network with local producers, find a volunteer opportunity and see where it goes. I came away knowing exactly what to do. I have a box of seeds, a shed full of tools, rolls of weed barrier and lengths of drip hose. And a burning desire. Gotta hustle this weekend. Photos to come.