From Vacant Lots To Edible Green Spaces -- and Community

Food forests are thriving around Boston, and so are the people involved with them. They help heal neglected environments by transforming vacant lots into green spaces that foster climate resiliency, and host a huge variety of species and plants that also feed pollinators and birds. Anyone can participate in the gardening by planting, harvesting, and eating the fresh fruits, herbs, berries, and vegetables. Perhaps more importantly, food forests invigorate and transform the community by engaging people, connecting neighbors and forging relationships, and providing a safe space to simply spend a few healing moments in natural beauty. A food forest director said, “I think what makes a food forest is truly the community owning the space and growing and transforming with those spaces.”