Edible City

Work Party Opportunities to Expand Portland’s Edible Landscapes!

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Portland, Maine – also known as the “forest city” – has an incredible initiative towards increasing edible plants in public spaces. The city owns and manages roughly 20,000 trees on streets and in parks and 1,000 acres of open space.  The Urban Agricultural subcommittee of the Mayor’s Initiative for Healthy and Sustainable Food helps advocate for and expand edible landscapes in the city, along with many other organizations and groups!

  • Cultivating Community has planted fruit trees donated by FedCo with students for the past 7 years.
  • Mayor Brennan planted Chestnut Trees in Baxter park in 2013.
  • The Permaculture and Resilience Hub has two seasons of Permablitz’ completed (meaning they have organized day long works parties where they transform someones yard into an efficient growing landscape that includes renewable energy and water collection systems, using permaculture design and barn raising ideas in one)

Edible public landscaping initiatives are in swing for 2015

There are three notable projects being implemented this summer.  Fox Field Food Forest is being expanded along the East Bayside Trail.  Cultivating Community is creating a new community garden site on the Eastern Promenade.  Mount Joy Orchard began last year with an initial planting of trees. There are about 40 apple trees and a scattering of pear and peach. This year they will expand the fruit by planting peaches, paw paws, apricots, asian pears, elder berries, yellowhorn, and cornelion cherries trees and also add many herbaceous companion plants. The intentional expansion of edible forests for the public is leading Portland to become a sustainable and resilient city!

Get involved in the work parties coming up this week!

Food is the Problem and the Solution

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Ron Finley is changing South Central LA, along with LA Green Grounds, by guerrilla gardening in every vacant lot and traffic median. He is changing his neighborhood by exposing people to real food and teaching them the pride, joy, and honor in growing it. He is liberating people by giving them a path to reclaiming health as “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys…If they are not shown how food effects their mind and their body, they blindly eat whatever is put in front of them”.  He is also offering liberation from dependence on the capital system: “Growing your own food is like printing your own money”.

“It’s not about local, it’s about hyper local.
It’s about being self-sustaining.
If kids grow kale, they eat kale.”

Edible City Vision

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Here is an inspiring video about the food strategy in Vancouver.

Imagine a city where food is abundantly growing in yards, public spaces, urban farms, and schools.  Growing fresh, local produce meets a basic human need that ensures security and equity for all.  Designing our spaces to efficiently produce food creates a thriving and sustainable community through strengthening local economy and resources. It raises awareness and respect for the environment.

Here in Portland The Mayor’s Food Initiative works to improve health and sustainability of food systems in our community. It supports many of the initiatives of other organizations. The Edible East Bayside project is transforming the Bayside Trail into an edible food forest. Among many events, the Resilience Hub + Portland Maine Permaculture teach permaculture design courses and organize permablitz’ to turn people’s yards into self-producing food forests.  Cultivating Community provides food systems education in schools and to members of the New American farmer’s program. They manage the community gardens in Portland and increase access to locally grown produce.  Garbage to Garden keeps recycles our organic waste and provides healthy soil for all of our gardens. Many folks are working towards the Edible City vision here in Portland!