Earlier this year we shared about our new Food Forest Initiative, launched in partnership with The Giving Grove, a national nonprofit serving communities experiencing food insecurity.
When you hear “Food forest” you might also think of the term “forest gardens.” This year DUG has piloted three food forests – oases of perennial fruits, nuts, and berries that will produce food for decades and become neighborhood fixtures. These sites will also serve as learning labs for experimentation with other perennial edibles and medicinal plants, and are being set up as educational zones with permanent signage to help people learn to identify, care for, and harvest trees and perennial foods.
These ‘food forests’ are being cared for by volunteer “Tree Keepers” to take care of sites into the future. Additionally, our partners at the Giving Grove are offering discounted supplies, digital trainings, lots of planning resources, as well as demographic data on neighborhoods served.
Our current Food Forest sites include:
Barnum Community Orchard – 151 King St., Denver
20 fruit trees, 9 nut trees, 18 berries, 24 companion shrubs
Living Light of Peace Church – 5927 Miller St., Arvada
16 fruit trees, 4 nut trees, 16 berries, 20 companion shrubs
Nome Park – 1200 Nome St., Aurora
11 fruit trees, 13 berries, 11 companion shrubs
