Tacoma's South End Cultivates Edible Food Forest to Enhance Community Food Access
In Tacoma, Washington's South End neighborhood, residents have transformed a portion of Charlotte’s Blueberry Park into a three-quarter-acre edible food forest. This initiative, launched in 2025, aims to provide healthy food options for the community, which faces challenges with food access and limited tree canopy coverage. The food forest, designed with input from local gardeners and cultural groups, includes fruit and nut trees, shrubs, and herbs, some of which are culturally significant and difficult to find in local stores. While many plants are still young and harvests are currently limited, organizers anticipate larger yields in the coming years. The project draws on permaculture principles and is divided into sections for fruit and nut trees, Pacific Northwest native foods, and subtropical produce. It currently features 69 fruit and nut trees of 27 species, 17 types of fruit shrubs, and 31 types of perennial vegetables and herbs, along with medicinal plants.
