Profile: The Garden Summer

There are some people in life who just make you smile when they're near. Those people who make you smile, they often do amazing things that put a huge grin on your face even when they're not around. My friend Marie Barker, a fiery, sassy cutie-patootie from South Carolina, is one of those people, and she's doing an awesome thing this summer. 


A few months ago Marie asked me to help contribute to the Kickstarter project for The Garden Summer. I watched the video Marie's friend (and project leader) Hailey Wist made, and I was pumped! I'd heard of Kickstarter before, but never really known anyone who'd used it and who'd been successful. Marie and four other people are doing a little experiment called The Garden Summer. They're working on a farm, growing all of their own food, and figuring out first-hand just exactly how they can make their lives and actions more sustainable. And they are making a documentary about it. I think it's just great.


On Kickstarter, Marie and her friends were trying to raise $5,000 for farm implements, energy, water, travel, gas, cameras, equipment rental, and seeds. I pledged, and lo and behold, with a little bit of help from a lot of people, the project was funded!

This was the initial video (the "pitch") that they made back in March 2010:

These are the goals:

• Grow an abundant garden.
• Produce zero-waste (or pretty damn close).  
• Eat food grown within a 100-mile radius.
• Sell at the Farmers Market and donate to local food banks.
• Make some farmer friends and have some fun along the way.

Here's the first installment of the documentary. It's all kinds of cute. Enjoy.