These cities turned parks into orchards where anyone can pick for free
In the United States and elsewhere, land is being converted to offer free fruits and vegetables, ‘no questions asked’
By Cathy Free
Washington Post
October 10, 2022
Excerpt:
The city of Andernach, Germany, planted 101 varieties of tomatoes in the town center and told everyone to pluck and take whatever they wanted.
It was such a hit, the following year the city did the same with beans. The next year, it was onions. After that, the city planted fruit trees, lettuce, zucchini, berries and herbs. All were free to anyone who lived or happened to be in the town of 30,000 people.
The town, which sits in the Rhine River Valley, has an unofficial motto: “Picking is encouraged — help yourself.”
It’s one of a growing number of places across the globe known as edible cities. In the United States, there are public lands from Seattle to North Carolina where people are welcome to pick and take from fruiting trees and bushes.
Organizers interviewed for this article said there has never been a problem with people taking more than they need, whether they grab a single pear or a bag full of potatoes and artichokes. Every year, there is more than enough produce to go around.
Many here are very proud when you talk to them about our edible city,” said Bettina Schneider, 29, city team coordinator for the Edible Cities Network in Andernach.
When word got out that Andernach’s public gardens and orchards — which started in 2010 — were free for the picking, other cities in Germany and throughout the European Union joined in, she said. Now the Edible Cities Network is funded by the European Commission, the executive body of the E.U.
