Queenstown resident Robin Rawson said about 25 people turned out for a meeting at the Memorial Hall last week to discuss the possibility of establishing a "community garden" in the resort.
By the end of the meeting, it appeared there could be at least three gardens established by spring.
Ms Rawson said establishing the vegetable gardens would cut the cost of petrol and groceries by negating the need to go into town to stock up on fresh produce.
The non-profit project would offer residents who either did not have the time to maintain a fulltime garden - because they left in the summer months, or were apartment dwellers with no garden available - the opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
The gardens would also provide education with the pooling of knowledge and would encourage the production of local, home-grown, seasonal produce.
Five sites were raised as possibilities at last week's meeting.
One was a private property at Speargrass Flat Rd which had once been a winery and would be ideal for Arrowtown residents.
There had also been two potential sites offered to the group by the Queenstown Lakes District Council - one on Gorge Rd next to wetlands, which may not have enough sun, and the other in Kelvin Heights, which may prove difficult to access without a car.
Ms Rawson said there was also support for a site in Frankton which was likely to be sunny and another possible option on privately owned land at Goldfield Heights.
"What we'd really like to do is set up one or two for Arrowtown, Queenstown and Kelvin Heights residents.
Generally, it's for people to grow their own vegetables [but] if it's a prime location it could be fruit trees."
Each of the participants in the community gardens would be responsible for their own produce, but there would be some "communal activities" like composting.
Ms Rawson said she was overwhelmed and had been "smiling all week".
"I think it's something that was popular 20 to 30 years ago. It's all go . . . there's lots of people interested."
Already a "Flickr Group" had been established, which anyone could join to pool ideas and images, she said.
