Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Seatle is Bilding the first Food Forest

By Liliana Usvat

Here a good  idea to follow



Seattle’s vision of an urban food oasis . A seven-acre plot of land in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood  planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: walnut and chestnut trees;

 blueberry and raspberry bushes; fruit trees, including apples and pears;

 exotics like pineapple,


yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, and lingonberries

; herbs; and more. All will be available for public plucking to anyone who wanders into the city’s first food forest.

Permaculture 




The concept of a food forest certainly pushes the envelope on urban agriculture and is grounded in the concept of permaculture, which means it will be perennial and self-sustaining, like a forest is in the wild. Not only is this forest Seattle’s first large-scale permaculture project, but it’s also believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

City Fruit 


In 2014 City Fruit will be expanding the steward program to two additional parks and will be planting new fruit trees and associated understory (berries) according to permaculture priniciples.



The Seattle Orchard Steward project provides in-depth training in fruit tree care to individuals interested in developing their own skills and provides hundreds of pounds of fruit to the emergency food system in Seattle -- fruit that previously went to waste.


 The living trees also connect Seattle's residents with the city's agricultural heritage and provide a focal point for community gatherings.



More than 30 public Seattle parks have fruit trees, which historically have been neglected because park employees often don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to the maintenance of these trees.




Low-Hanging Fruit: an Edible Forest


Imagine if your neighborhood park doubled as a communal orchard. Out of fruit in the fridge? Just stroll down the block and pluck the first ripe pear you see.



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