Photo courtesy of The Giving Grove
The Giving Grove has reached an ambitious milestone: 1 million people now live within walking distance of a community orchard or food forest in its national network.
This milestone means increased access to healthy calories, green spaces and more opportunities for neighbors to grow stronger, more connected communities together, the organization said.
Editor's note: Learn how Forrest Keeling Nursery supplies The Giving Grove with native trees that are used in community orchards and food forests across the country.
"The achievement belongs first and foremost to the hundreds of orchard stewards and community members who lovingly care for the neighborhood gardens across the country," the organization said in a news release. "Their work is helping make food access tangible — putting healthy food within reach while giving communities an active role in growing and caring for it.
"What began in 2013 as a grassroots effort in Kansas City to make free, fresh fruit available to local neighborhoods, Giving Grove has grown into a national network of over 847 community orchards and food forests — and both the network and the orchards themselves are flourishing," the organization added.
Since last year at this time:
- The number of trees has increased 33%
- Orchard sites have grown 24.2%
- Orchard stewards have increased 24%
- Annual production potential has grown 28.6%
“Reaching one million people shows what’s possible when communities have the opportunity to grow something together and care for it over time,” said Erica Kratofil, co-executive director of The Giving Grove. “There is something quietly powerful about neighbors coming together to create something that will nourish their community for generations. This milestone is a testament to thousands of orchard stewards, volunteers and local partners who have made that vision real by imagining fresh food, green space and connection as part of every neighborhood.”