Atlanta just turned a former “food desert” into a “food forest” that will provide citizens with free, organic fruits, nuts, veggies, mushrooms and herbs
Instead of developing it into townhouses, the City of Atlanta recently voted to transform a vacant, old, overgrown pecan farm into a food forest.
The 7-acre public park will feature fruit-producing trees, shrubs and vines along walking trails, a community vegetable garden and restored native forest and stream-side areas by 2020.
The vegetable garden has already been planted alongside preexisting walnut and pecan trees. More than 100 fruit trees have also been planted including figs, apples, plums and peaches.
The plans include a community composting facility, rainwater collection system, a medicinal mushroom walk, and an apiary to house bees for pollination.
The city bought the land for around $150,000 the Conservation Fund, who’d bought it up to help keep it affordable and will be helping maintain the park in the future.
The plan is to replicate the food forest in several locations throughout Atlanta, where a third of the land is considered a “food desert” by the USDA and a quarter of the citizens live more than a half mile from fresh fruits and vegetables […]
Via
Atlanta Turns 7-Acre Vacant Lot into Largest Free Food Forest In the Country
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Reblogged this on Rangitikei Environmental Health Watch and commented:
How awesome ❤
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Great idea, and I hope it works out over time. But as a perennial gardener, I know how difficult it is to grow food. I have utmost respect for those who can do it. As a former Atlanta resident, I’m very proud of this initiative and will look forward to updates.
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My understanding of food forests, Katherine, is that they mainly rely on perennial plants. They are much easier to grow than annuals, and far less soil depleting than annual. Growing annuals always entails some so disruption when you plant them.
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Way to go, Atlanta!
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The people have been essentially abandoned by federal and state governments, Rosaliene. It’s good to see them taking things into their own hands at a local level.
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