How you can get involved
n Buy it , eat it , enjoy it : Create demand by paying farmers , processors , and retailers for their wares . If you see tree crops at market or a product made with American tree crop products , buy it ! In the spring : juneberries and mulberries . In July , elderberries , and blueberries . In August : paw paws . In the fall : chestnuts , hazelnuts , hickories , acorns , persimmons , aronia berry . Nut-fed pork or beef or chicken . Local grapes and apples make local wine and cider .
ing trees near streams , rivers , and lakes to filter and reduce erosion and nutrient runoff into our shared waterways .
Tree crops can and should be woven into efforts for food access and justice . We can plant nut and fruit trees in public spaces . Bumper crops can be donated to food pantries , and farm-to-school programs can incorporate them into school meals . Recipients of
SNAP and farmers markets WIC programs can already use their benefits to purchase tree crops , if they ’ re available at markets .
Even if we began gathering all of the nuts and tree fruits in our neighborhoods , they will not simply appear on supermarket shelves . To create a tree crop-based food supply chain , we need to establish processing facilities to dry , cure , chop , grind , ferment , and press the juices from tree crops . We need storage
n Pick-your-own : While there is so much untapped opportunity for tree crops , some perennial crops are already a cornerstone of our food experience . Support Montgomery County ’ s pick-your-own farms listed above to support businesses that have a lot of knowledge and infrastructure to offer to a growing movement .
n If you have tree crops in your yard or farm , even if you ’ re not harvesting them , join Silvoculture ’ s and KTCC ’ s networks . They will be organizing crop gathering and aggregating efforts in the next few years . Potentially you can make a little extra money selling quality tree crops .
n If you ’ re fortunate enough to have some land , consider starting your own perennial tree crops . See Michael Judd ’ s PLENTY article for great guidance and inspiration . 7
PHOTO : Ekaterina Dmitrenko
PHOTOs : matt grason
Tree crops have been a critical part of native peoples ’ diets for millennia . 8 Juneberries , paw paws , elderberries , and persimmons ( pictured clockwise from top left ) are nutrient-rich and grow in abundance .