Extra Income Idea For Gardeners: Plant and Tend Someone Else’s Vegetable Garden

I ran across this fascinating article about a guy who works as a gardener for people with a backyard, but no inclination.

For a fee he’ll plant your garden, weed, water and even harvest your veggies. The attraction is that the produce will be locally grown and can also be pesticide free – or fit whatever other conditions a produce-eater may have.

He’s in New York where the growing season is short. But it got me to wondering, how many other people are willing to pay for a vegetable garden? I suppose we can rule out people who are growing their own food to save money. And I suppose demand would also be effected by whether or not organically grown produce is easily available in your area.

But given all the weak links in our food chain, I’m not surprised this hasn’t been tried before. And why not? We have personal shoppers and personal trainers. Why not hire a Personal Gardener? Yes, I’m coining that phrase today; Personal Gardener.

I can see the sales brochure now: Take gardening to the next level with a Personal Gardener.

I’m wondering if anyone out there is inspired to start their own Personal Gardening business. Let me know if you are – or you’re already doing it!

And in the interest of Marketing Research, how many of you are willing to hire a Personal Gardener to grow your fruits and vegetables?

Here’s the article that started it all:

Backyard chic: Eating local, without dirtying your hands

By Kim Severson, Published: July 22, 2008
Eating locally raised food is a growing trend. But who has time to get to the farmer’s market, let alone plant a garden?

That is where Trevor Paque comes in. For a fee, Paque, who lives in San Francisco, will build an organic garden in your backyard, weed it weekly and even harvest the bounty, gently placing a box of vegetables on the back porch when he leaves.

Call them the lazy locavores — city dwellers who insist on eating food grown close to home but have no inclination to get their hands dirty. Paque is typical of a new breed of business owner serving their needs.

Even couples planning a wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City can jump on the local food train. For as little as $72 a person, they can offer guests a “100-mile menu” of food from the caterer’s farm and neighboring fields in upstate New York.

“The highest form of luxury is now growing it yourself or paying other people to grow it for you,” said Corby Kummer, the food columnist and book author. “This has become fashion.”
Rest of article…