A neighbourhood food-sharing initiative
Share what you grow. Take what you need.
Community Shelf puts self-service racks in cafés and community spaces. Neighbours leave what they grow, and other neighbours take it home, for a small price or for free.
Three ways in
Everyone has a part on the shelf
If you grow
Lemons, curry leaves, mint that won’t stop. Apply once, post your harvest and place it on a rack. The host pays you for what sells.
How growing worksIf you’re looking
See what’s on the shelf before you go. Hold a packet and pay at the counter, or take a free one with no account.
How picking up worksIf you have a space
A café, library, place of worship or community room. A few racks and a staffed counter are enough to start.
Host a shelf
How a shelf works
From a backyard to the next kitchen in four steps
Grow and post
A neighbour posts what they grew, with a price or marked Free.
The host reviews it
Each new grower is approved once, and every post is checked before it reaches a rack.
Placed on a rack
The grower brings sealed, labelled packets and taps which rack they’re on.
Taken home
A neighbour holds it or takes it free, and the counter records it. Growers are paid on a schedule.
What we stand for
Simple, safe and local
Free to join
Growers sign up for free, and nobody needs an account to take a free item.
Every post reviewed
Hosts approve each grower once and check every post before it goes on a rack.
Nothing goes to waste
Surplus from one backyard ends up in the next kitchen, not the compost.
Value stays local
Money changes hands at the host’s own counter, and growers are paid by Zelle or cash.
See a shelf in action
Bakes & Brews, Antioch, California
Bakes & Brews runs a Community Shelf at its café, with numbered racks by the counter and an online shelf that shows what’s there today.
Built and supported by
The Atlantic Labs
The Atlantic Labs is an IT consulting and product development company. Its team designs, builds and supports the Community Shelf software, and works with each host space to set up its shelf.
Have a café, library or community room?
Tell us about your space. We’ll help you plan the racks, the counter routine and your online shelf.