Being a Gardener

ODFL welcomes different depths and styles of engagement from our gardeners, understanding that engagement fluctuates as capacity, energy, and focus changes over time, and that we engage in different ways. As a movement, we know that every depth and style of engaging is vital to the movement’s thriving.

In spring 2025, we started experimenting with splitting the year into two ODFL seasons, from spring to autumn and then autumn to spring. Each season starts with a Community Gardener’s Week when we gather asyncly and in online workshops and meetings to work on internal tasks and projects, prepare for the new season, and compost the previous season.

At season change, we’re also experimenting with inviting members to allocate themselves into one of the following three roles, signaling their capacity and energy for that season, which we then share in an internal document. Gardeners: Activators: Stewards:

Being a gardener FAQs

Is there a certain level of regularity + commitment expected of me when I join as a member / steward?

No. All forms of engagement, from staying up-to-date with the movement to signing the maniflexo, all the way to being a member and maybe taking on an activator or steward role for a season or more), is necessary. At no point do we expect you to take up certain responsibilities or to engage in a specific way - you are invited to ebb and flow in your engagement as your life unfolds.

Our only ask in relation to regularity and commitment is to communicate transparently about what level of engagement you wish to have at a given time so that we all have clear expectations of each other and keep an awareness of / hold space for each other throughout. You matter, even when you don’t engage much, you’ll still be part of this living system, and hence we seek to keep some degree of communication alive, too.