Community Food Forest Collective

VISION: We are dreaming of a world where humans live in kinship with all living beings, and understand the sacred covenant to protect and care for the Earth and its gifts in a way that honors life.

MISSION: We work to bring the forest back into the heart of our urban communities, healing our broken relationship with the land while producing food in ways that restore land, tackle the planetary crisis and enhance human stewardship of the Earth and her creatures.

AIM: In partnership with communities, we design, install and maintain food forests while educating the public about forest gardens, regenerative land stewardship and ecologically-sound food systems.

HISTORY: The Takoma Park Community Food Forest subgroup of Takoma Park Mobilization was established in February 2022. A year later we established our own non profit organization, the Community Food Forest Collective. We are now working on two food forests at two separate locations in the city - one at an elementary school and another at a community college. We are in discussion with landowners about another two sites.

We believe food forests are an incredible way of enhancing community well-being in urban areas. They increase food security & sovereignty, provide nutrient rich food for residents, provide beautiful spaces for events & education, reduce flooding, boost wildlife habitat & biodiversity, and tackle the climate crisis.

Imagine a garden that looks as lovely as a woodland edge. Imagine it produces an abundance of nutrient rich food for the community; and ultimately needs very little digging, weeding, manual watering or pest control. And that it exists in harmony with animals and humans, providing a beautiful space for community events and education in a way that enhances social cohesion and well-being. That’s a community food forest. 

*Install food forests & edible gardens - mulching, planting trees, shrubs & plants, watering, fencing, installing signs, installing hard infrastructure like rainwater harvesters, building raised beds, building storage for tools

*Maintain food forests & edible gardens - mulching, propagating and transplanting plants, pruning, watering, weeding, repairing infrastructure, collecting seeds, planting new stock

Our group also:

*Runs workshops about ecologically-sound food systems and regenerative land stewardship

*Runs on site events like plant & seed swaps or giveaways

*Provides educators to schools so they can run after school garden clubs

*Raises money on behalf of schools, colleges and student organizations to maintain the food forests & run garden clubs

*Runs community events and gatherings at the sites