Urban and Community Food Forests and Forest Gardens

Abstract

Forest gardens and food forests have been planted and stewarded by Indigenous peoples and other cultures around the world for thousands of years. These systems are rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, blending food production with long-term stewardship of the land. In recent decades, food forests have reemerged across the United States in innovative ways, often found in public parks, vacant lots, greenways, riparian buffers, along public forest edges, or combined with community gardens. Whether part of grassroots efforts or public and/or private partnerships, urban and community food forests are designed to maximize available resources and provide solutions to community needs. This Agroforestry Note focuses on public-facing urban and community food forests or edible forest gardens that integrate trees, shrubs, and perennial plants with community-driven design, creating spaces that can be both ecologically productive and socially engaging. Public-facing places include spaces that are on privately held property, such as the grounds of a nonprofit or religious institution, but are open to the public at specified times, or open to the community of volunteers, practitioners, or members associated with the private entity.

Citation

Bukowski, Catherine; MacFarland, Kate; Favor, Katherine. 2026. Urban and community food forests and forest gardens. Agroforestry Note 55. Lincoln, NE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Agroforestry Center. xx p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NAC-AN-55.