Welcome to the official site for the international movement of folks who want to grow Food Not Lawns!

IMGP2823 2

…What happens when friendly neighbors share seeds, land, tools, labor and resources?

ABUNDANCE!

Using friendship-based community organizing and principles of permaculture, gift economy, and mutual aid, Food Not Lawns has been turning yards into gardens and neighborhoods into communities since 1999, when we were conceived by the Food Not Bombs family in Eugene, Oregon. For more than twenty years small, self-organized groups of grassroots gardeners have been organizing local seed swaps, joining together for garden work parties, and making lots of friends while learning more about the simple act of growing food can radically improve your home, your community, and your life. 

design your ecological homestead

Learn Permaculture for Free

​Food Not Lawns has always been about the free distribution of surplus seeds, plants, tools, land, help, and information. Now we’re pivoting to make whole system design skills available to everyone, for free. Get 100+ online classes, created by FNL author/founder Heather Jo Flores, and including heaps of original artwork, writing, videos, and interactive content that can’t be found anywhere else, plus bushels of lovingly curated links and resources.

dscn6863
food not lawns book

Food Not Lawns, How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community

Read the entire text of the 2006 classic, Food Not Lawns, How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community, by Heather Jo Flores, for FREE when you join our mailing list.

Here are some hands-on how-to articles to help you grow food not lawns

urban gardening

How to Grow Food in the City

8 places you might be able to garden if you don’t have access to land

permaculture garden

What is Permaculture?

Hint: it’s NOT a revolution disguised as gardening!

dscn6863

Wild Edible Plants

in your own backyard! 12 delicious and nutritious edible weeds

Lawns to Gardens Gallery

To inspire you, here’s just a tiny sampling of the yards Food Not Lawns folks have turned into gardens!

Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.04.26
Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.04.49
Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.04.59
Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.06.10
Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.06.19
Screenshot 2020 12 08 at 12.04.39
coloringbook

Free Permaculture Coloring Book for All Ages!

33 pages of original writing & illustrations. Learn the basics with the whole family!

@foodnotlawns on instagram

Screenshot 2022 08 15 at 19.35.53