Too Far
Buying local; eating local; food miles. These buzz words fall under that politically correct banner that hovers over us before their reality in our future ultimately takes over. Sort of like “green” or “renewable.”
But these do refer to some of the upcoming lifestyle norms as fossil fuels peak, CO2 rises and the economy ceases to grow. The call to keep dollars localized at this point is sometimes a hard sell, but a necessary part for the transition.
Not only are the national big box stores our traditional local interlopers, but every other item within said stores is made in China, Bangladesh, et. al. As expected, this global operating design for commerce breeds unsustainability. It erodes local economy. It won’t last forever.
[The other night we went to a newish restaurant which specializes in international beers - I mean, like, 300 varieties. As I sat at the bar facing the solid wall of foreign labels I envisioned every bottle there arriving via an ocean-going vessel. Maybe voyages of 5,000 food miles? Very fossil fuel intensive. And this is so ironic, given the variety of regional local breweries we enjoy.]
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| Mulberry Tree |
But, even when we do transition to shopping locally-owned stores, buying veggies from CSA’s and putting in some backyard tomatoes of our own, there is still one really local food source omitted: Neighborhood fruits and nuts. Local urban harvests. Formally, this is referred to as the edible landscape. I prefer foraging; taking a good look around at trees and bushes for food that may be escaping our attention.
Fruit trees and bushes planted on private or public land are scattered all through the city. Many simply seeded themselves and took off. Many were planted for landscaping purposes along streets, in front yards or in parks.
It's sometimes assumed that most of these fruit and nut sources are reserved for local critters, and they do take their rightful share. However, there is enough for everyone, including bipeds. In fact, a great amount of this potential local harvest actually falls and goes to waste every year.
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| Black Walnut Tree |
The group FallingFruit.Org. maps out the following variety of nuts and fruit in the neighborhoods of the Madison area. Included are:
Apple, Blackberry, Black Raspberry, Black Walnut, Cherry, Chokeberry, Grape, Mulberry, Passionfruit, Peach, Pear, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Serviceberry, Strawberry
The specific sites for these crops are submitted by neighbors and foraging enthusiasts. Each tree or bush is pinpointed and the fruit described. Check your neighborhood or, potentially, any neighborhood in the country/world!
Local group Madison Fruits and Nuts works to plant and harvest fruit, fresh and free. They have attempted coordination with the City of Madison to develop a more systematized format for planting fruit trees on public land. Their map of existing trees also allows you to zero in on a neighborhood, then to an individual tree.
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| Cleaning and Sorting Mulberries |
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| Ready for Winter |
I have harvested in my own neighborhood over the past two years. Not much foraging, per se, but two trees have been enough to get me started with mulberries and black walnuts. Each source is about .1 food mile away from home! As is common, neighbors who own these trees are grateful to have the fruit cleaned up and off their sidewalks and lawns. (Black walnuts and mulberries can make an unacceptable mess, don’t you know...)
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| De-husking Black Walnuts |
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| Drying Walnuts |
A little sorting and cleaning and freezing of fruit, and a little bit more labor for walnuts, gets me a store that takes me through winter dormancy!
Knowing Your Place
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Cracking Nuts and Removing Meats
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Local harvesting provides much more than sustenance. Actual foraging reinforces the essential concept of place; the community of nature and people we ought to be intricately acquainted with. It's not just the cluster of houses and yards that streak by while driving. Walking and observing reveals the ecosystem of the neighborhood and, maybe, some personal face time with neighbors themselves! The more we understand the ecology of our place the more likely we are to understand the importance of all sorts of local interactions.
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| Ready for Toppings or Baking |
Creating one more natural connection to this sense of place is essential for kids. Imagine the fruit and nuts that could be collected and processed by students from a local neighborhood...
Further Resources:
What I Learned From a Ten Mile Diet - Vicki Robin (exc. TED Talk!)
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
