In Tucson, Arizona, Brandon Merchant is leading a unique project to cool down the city's hottest neighborhoods and combat hunger by planting food-producing trees.
The creation of "food forests" on the city's south side are populated with native velvet mesquite trees and are designed to provide much-needed shade and food in areas where both are scarce.
Merchant's initiative is part of a broader movement to populate Tucson with 1 million trees by 2030, a goal supported by a $5 million grant from the Biden administration as part of a nationwide urban forestry effort, according to Grist. However, Merchant's vision extends beyond merely cooling the city; he aims to tackle food insecurity by planting trees that can be harvested for sustenance. Velvet mesquite trees, which thrive in the arid conditions of the Sonoran Desert, produce seed pods that can be ground into a sweet, protein-rich flour.
"Thinking about the root causes of hunger and the root causes of health issues, there are all these things that tie together: lack of green spaces, lack of biodiversity," Merchant told Grist.
The food forest concept is part of a growing national trend where urban forestry is combined with efforts to combat hunger. Cities across the U.S., including Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, and Miami, have developed similar community spaces where fruit trees, berry bushes, and other edible plants are grown in public areas, according to the outlet.
These spaces not only offer a source of fresh produce but also improve air quality, store carbon, and provide habitats for wildlife.
"It's definitely growing in popularity," Cara Rockwell, an agroforestry researcher at Florida International University, told Grist. "Food security is one of the huge benefits."
Merchant's work is inspired by Brad Lancaster, who has transformed Tucson's Dunbar Spring neighborhood into a lush, food-producing area over the past 30 years. Lancaster's approach to urban forestry, which emphasizes the use of native plants and water conservation, has turned the once-barren area into a thriving community space, with over 1,700 native food- and medicine-bearing trees and shrubs planted.
Though still in its early stages, with only a few dozen saplings planted so far, Merchant's project aims to plant 20,000 trees by 2030.
To engage the community, the food bank hosts workshops on growing, pruning, and harvesting mesquite trees and organizes events where locals can grind seed pods into flour using a hammer mill. These events often culminate in mesquite pancake cook-offs, bringing the community together to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
As Tucson's food forests take root, they not only promise to cool the city but also offer a sustainable, community-driven solution to hunger and environmental degradation.
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