Opening the Permaculture Conversation in My City

This year I am planning to convert the 15' x 35'  rectangle of lawn directly in front of my house into a fenced garden area. It will be very visible from the road. When I had 30 straw bales set up a couple of years ago in this area (that attempt unfortunately failed), I had at least one person stop and photograph it. So I know that my yard will become a noticeable landmark in the area, if I do this right. I am hoping to be able to use this year's garden as a tool to open the conversation about Permaculture to my neighborhood and small city. I am looking for ideas from all of you on how to leverage this potential further, and for what other ways I could show and tell permaculture to my community here in the American mid-South.

Once the garden is thriving, give away food to a food pantry.   Then work for the newspaper article.

John F Dean wrote:Once the garden is thriving, give away food to a food pantry.   Then work for the newspaper article.

I would happily write the thing, too, if only they would let me!  I have so much to say, ha!

Being fenced in may give the impression that it is just your own garden. If you can make it feel inviting with a couple of openings it would be easier to engage with the neighbors. It would also be neat to put some informational signs, like at a zoo or nature center, describing what things are and why you have done it that way, and of course to ask people not to step in the beds! I would consider something like this at my house, but I have a steep rise from the street and the only people who really walk through are the mail carriers and me, I still might make some

Hi Rachel,

I have found that newspapers from smaller communities have been happy when I wrote the articles.   Do take the time to examine the format and length of the article they normally publish and mimic that.  Be sure to include a photo or two. Send it both hard copy and electronic (sometimes putting paper in someones hand while you are standing there gets it read more quickly).  

Oh yes, while you are at it, be sure to write a follow up article in case of the wild success of the first article.

To add … sometimes the term “Press Release” gets better results.   If your article mentions money …as in income for you or anyone else … you significantly reduce the odds of it being published for free. Most news media work off a philosophy akin to  “If you make money, we make money.”