Brighten Your Day

Seattle to plant 7 acre edible forest open to the public

June 6, 2013

Beacon Hill, Seattle is building a seven acre edible forest that will be open to the public.

The plan is to fill the forest with walnut and chestnut trees, blueberry and raspberry bushes, fruit trees, yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, herbs and more. All this will be available to anyone who wants to walk on by.

The project is named the "Beacon Food Forest Project" led by architect Margarett Harrison. Although they believe this is the first project of it's kind in a public area, it has been done before. Here is an example of one in Asheville, North Carolina. Either way, it is a great concept.

Most people might think this type of project is easy--just plant a bunch of trees that grow fruit and nuts.There is a lot to consider to make sure this forest is self-sustaining. 

"The concept means we consider the soils, companion plants, insects, bugs-everything will be mutually beneficial to each other," says Harrison.

There have been concerns about who gets to take the food and how much they can take. Harrison had a great answer for them.

"Anyone and everyone," says Harrison. "There was major discussion about it. People worried, 'What if someone comes and takes all the blueberries?' That could very well happen, but maybe someone needed those blueberries. We look at it this way. If we have none at the end of blueberry season, then it means we're successful."

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