Foraging for fruits and vegetables might seem like a thing of the past, but the Beacon Food Forest hopes to re-introduce it into modern metropolis societies. It is essentially a self-sustaining public park that will be full of apples, herbs, walnuts, pineapples and more in Seattle, Washington's Beacon Hill neighborhood. As the Beacon Food Forest mission statement reads, "Our goal is to design, plant and grow an edible urban forest garden that inspires our community to gather together, grow our own food and rehabilitate our local ecosystem."
An admirable endeavor, the Beacon Food Forest will not only cultivate community and the eco-system, but also an appreciation for good ol' fashioned foraging, a skill that has been dulled since the invention of the grocery store.
What's Driving This Trend
- Urban Foraging
- Creating self-sustaining public parks with abundant fruits and vegetables for urban communities to forage.
- Edible Urban Forest Gardens
- Designing and growing communal gardens that inspire communities to gather, grow their own food, and rehabilitate local ecosystems.
- Community Agriculture
- Building a sense of community through collective efforts in growing and harvesting food in urban areas.
Who This Affects Most
- Urban Planning
- Integrating sustainable and self-sustaining parks in urban planning to encourage urban foraging and community building.
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Developing methods and technologies to cultivate edible urban forest gardens that enhance local ecosystems.
- Community Development
- Fostering community engagement and resilience through the establishment of communal agriculture projects in urban neighborhoods.
