Public produce

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File:PublicProduce GilmanAve Seattle.jpgAn example of public produce in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Residents, working with Seattle's Department of Transportation, transformed a formerly neglected street median on Gilman Avenue West into a community gathering space with public fruit trees and vegetable plots.

Public produce is a type of foodscaping and urban agriculture wherein food (fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs) is cultivated in public spaces, and freely accessible to the public. Public produce differs from commercial, residential, or community-gardening, which have private or restricted access.[1] Public produce is integrated into urban landscaping, and unlike commercial, residential, or community gardens, public produce occupies true public spaces. Public produce may exist anywhere traditional public landscaping exists, such as in parks, plazas, or town squares; along streets; or on the grounds of public institutions, such as city halls, courthouses, libraries, and schools.[2]

The term public produce was coined by Darrin Nordhal, author of Public Produce: The New Urban Agriculture, in 2009. In Public Produce, Nordhal describes the three defining characteristics of public produce:

1\. The food must be grown in true public space (parks, plazas, streets, or any space where all members of the public are welcome);

2\. The food must be freely available to all members of the public; and

3\. The garden is permitted, funded, and/or maintained by public officials.[3]

Urban agriculture is an emerging practice with social and environmental benefits, and it is attracting increased interest from the international community.[1] Despite emerging interest in public produce, the concept is not new. In times of war and economic distress, communities around the world have adopted public garden practices. During World War II, for example, the Victory gardens in North America, Europe, and Australia were established to relieve hunger and food stress, promote social equity, and boost morale.[4] Public produce in the 21st century continues to meet the aims of earlier versions of public gardens, which are to bolster a community's supply of fresh produce and promote social equity.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Colinas, Juliette; Bush, Paula; Manaugh, Kevin (2018). "The socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees: A Montreal case-study". Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 45. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2018.05.002.
2. ↑ Nordahl, Darrin (2014-09-29). Public Produce : Cultivating Our Parks, Plazas, and Streets for Healthier Cities. Washington, DC. ISBN 9781610915502. OCLC 918555020.
3. ↑ Nordahl, Darrin (2009). Public produce : the new urban agriculture. Washington, DC: Island Press. ISBN 9781610911436. OCLC 757401391.
4. ↑ Lawson, Laura J. (2005). City bountiful : a century of community gardening in America. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520931558. OCLC 58728578.

## External links

* Smart city governments grow produce for the people
* Bainbridge's City Hall Grounds Now Graced by Gardeners
* What's growing downtown?

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