Let HomeGrown.org Into Your Home

What comes to mind when you hear the word “homegrown”? Some people might picture a farm while others might think of baking and cooking from scratch. I envision of a sense of community and togetherness, which is certainly the message that HomeGrown.org conveys. HomeGrown.org is an online community that is based around people’s homegrown interests. Whether you’re interested in growing, cooking, crafting, brewing, or even building, HomeGrown would be the perfect outlet for you. The website is branched off of Farm Aid, the organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. This online platform allows individuals to share any questions they have and provide tips or advice for others. So whether you’re a seasoned baker or a novice gardener, it’s the perfect way for you to grow your skills and learn. The site offers a fantastic way to immerse yourself in hobbies that you are most passionate about. The website itself is warm and welcoming, and certainly invites you to stop by and stay a while.

One thing that I really love about HomeGrown.org is that they encourage discussion, and lots of it! A user can start a discussion about any topic they want and others are welcome to chime in and share their opinions too. You don’t have to feel afraid to voice your questions or thoughts–and all questions are answered warmly and openly. It’s easy to feel at ease when you’re interacting with people who enjoy the same interests as you. Nothing is better than people banding together and sharing insight on topics that are close to their heart. Groups are something that users can join too. They help you stay in the loop of the discussions going on.

My absolute favorite thing about HomeGrown.org is the member blog section of the site.  Everyone loves pictures and stories, right? This would be the perfect way to show off your newly planted tomato garden or jars of jam that you canned last summer to the world. Let the members live vicariously through your adventures. I live in New York City and I would love to have a beautiful flower garden, but unfortunately that is not an option. Thankfully, this site allows me a glimpse into a rural or suburban life and I can see a member’s blog that tracks the process of her gardening from start to finish. Of course, the more pictures the better! One blog that I really enjoyed reading was Girl in an Apron (Girlinanapron.blogspot.com). Her blog featured recipes of various cuisines from all over the world. Her pictures were beautiful and some recipes were very exotic. I liked having a glimpse at delicacies that other cultures regularly eat.

HomeGrown’s philosophy is simple. They want to celebrate what’s most important, and that’s you and your homegrown interests. Culture is a vital part of people’s lives. People really enjoy seeing how others live and this site opens up a whole new window of diversity. The only thing you could do wrong is to not share your talents and interest with the rest of the world.