Posted on 10/14/2012 9:00:22 AM PDT by Donkey Odious
Consider it a modern take on the legendary tale of Johnny Appleseed. Vancouver, B.C., has announced plans to plant 150,000 fruit and nut trees on city streets, in parks, and on city-owned lands in the next eight years, reports the Vancouver Sun.
At the moment, the city has about 600 fruit and nut trees on city streets, and another 425 can be found in the city's parks, community gardens, and pocket orchards.
"Street trees play an important role in helping Vancouver adapt to climate change, manage stormwater run-off, support biodiversity, and even provide food," Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a statement to the city's council last week.
(Excerpt) Read more at takepart.com ...
Luring people into a forest? I read a lot of tales about that when I was a child and I don’t recall it EVER turning out good.
re: #16 Silly me... global warming of course.
The character who was foraging, Andre, tried to have a dinner party consisting of only wild food. Well, the rest of the folks complained that the stuff smelled and tasted like sh*t and ended up eating takeout food instead.
There are tours of urban foragers that go through Central Park, NY picking stuff...hope they're up to date on their tetanus, hepatitis, etc. shots.
I think you pretty much nailed it.....
Before I escaped, I lived in Oregon for about 15 years, two of my sons graduated from the UofO and two still live in Portland. The “culture” along I-5 resembles bad fruit - rotten to the core.
Both two and four footed....
I can foresee big problems with this, especially out in the unprotected public.. Tampering with the produce, hording the outcome for profit, a mess with the unused, flies, bird droppings, rotting on the vine,..etc..
However, I have done something similar on a much smaller scale.. In my last home, I planted a herb garden in my front yard, with a sign, “SPICE UP YOUR LIFE, on the house”..
Our neighbors and the general public walkers, and bicyclers, would stop and pick a few sprigs, along with the note cards that I furnished with recipes, that I placed in jars under each spice and herb.. It was a hoot, and caused a lot of fun between all of us..
I had a neat man cave in my garage, (complete with all of the know indemnities that any man would need), in the driveway, so I would be there in sight when they wanted to talk, and ask questions..
However, there was one downside, I lost any privacy, including constant interruptions during sports, and shows, and movies, etc, that I was engaged.. Met a lot of great folks and had a blast trading stories, and super recipes.. :)
Rats? Hmmm. Free meat, fruit, and nuts!
Really, they are going to plant (and maintain) some sort of tree, why not something that could produce food? Have Boy Scouts or church/community groups pick trees for food pantries, whatever, but I'd bet some of it would be eaten, anyway--by humans.
I have seen several episodes of Grimm (which is set in Portland)......Spooky things are out there!!
So will there be hotdog-trees?
I’m going to be the lone (or almost so) voice of approval. Why? Well I do agree about the idea of fruit trees making a mess, but I’m looking at this a different way: from the standpoint of a SHTF incident. Right now, stores only have food for a few days without restocking via truck, and people usually don’t have more than a week worth of food at home. What if that system is interrupted by an EMP, severe geomagnetic storm, a trucking strike, a cyber attack or an economic catastrophe? What happens is mass rioting when people realize that they and their kids might starve. Having a bunch of fruit trees will provide ample Vitamin C and other nutrients, and nut trees will provide lots of calories, protein and essential fats. It is not a substitute for individual preparedness, but it buys time to restore the system before the mass population starts rioting and going after those who have prepared.
To me, government’s primary job is to defend society - and this isn’t limited to deterring or fighting an invasion. Other things, mentioned above, can be as devastating or worse.
You are too logical and practical.
Fifty years ago, this idea would have merit and some enterprising people would have figured out how to pick, pack and profit.
Not any more - the gubmint is too restrictive and domineering and the public too lazy or litigious.
Yes this could help in a food emergency, provided it happens during harvest season.
Yes this could help in a food emergency, provided it happens during harvest season.
I don’t see the homeless having any interest in fresh fruit unless they can figure out how to ferment it.
They’ll have to hire their relatives to take care of the trees. This is a big liberal scam right now.
“Trees are beautiful! They help us! Speaking of help, these trees will need to be taken care of. My brother Steve needs a job.”
I predict that most of the fruit will either rot, or will be eaten by vermin. And I don’t mean the 2-legged kind.
In the city I live in there are already thousands of fruit and nut trees. No one harvests them. Well, except me and one or two other resourceful preppers.
Just a couple weeks ago mom helped me pick 2 grocery bags of apples from a stand of trees that grows just around the corner. In previous summers I’ve gotten black raspberries, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, black walnuts, plums, grapes, black cherries, elderberries, and more, all from public lands. When I was a kid the first “wild food” I ate was from a mulberry tree at the edge of the park near my house.
People who see me picking think I’m crazy.
mulberries.......mmmmmmmmmmmmm, my favorite
“In my part of the country fruit trees need to be sprayed for insects/parasites”
Probably the same everywhere. Around here, if a tree isn’t sprayed for insects, squirrels have a feast on the unwormy nuts.
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