Imagine bountiful fruiting street trees

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A local writer sent a note to the Salem-Locavores list asking about urban foraging:

Does anyone forage fruit on public land or neighborhood trees that overhang sidewalks, fences, etc.? I'm working on a story . . . about urban foraging, and I was hoping to talk to some folks about it. I know there are a few projects up in Portland like the Portland Fruit Tree Project, but I wasn't sure if there was anything organized in Salem or if there are people just doing it on their own.

Which again caused me to think that Salem -- the Cherry City -- should promote and encourage this with a sustained effort to use fruiting trees as street trees. Many people look askance at that, but if we had an "adopt a tree" program like we have "adopt a highway," "adopt a park," "adopt a classroom" and similar programs, we can ensure that each tree would have a caretaker.

The idea is that, whenever a street tree -- a tree in the parking strip between the sidewalk and the curb, the area the city controls -- needs to be planted or replaced, we offer the resident or business at that address the option of having the city plant a fruiting tree suitable for this area, selected by a local nursery and the city's urban forester, paid for by the would-be adoptive parent(s).

People could also have "joint custody." Say a resident/business at the address wouldn't mind a fruiting tree but isn't interested in caring for it (or is physically unable to do so). In that case, the resident and a neighbor could ask for "joint custody," with the neighbor providing the care and the resident providing the water.

Figs, plums, cherries, apples, pears, peaches, asian pears, persimmons, etc. There are a wealth of varieties that are well-suited to this area. By having a managed program coordinated throughout the city, we can ensure that only suitable, disease-resistant varieties are selected and that the eventual size of the tree is properly considered for each spot (along with sun requirements, etc.)

This would be a formal city urban forestry program -- the city would keep an "adoption registry" linked through the city website and offer, with the OSU extension and the Food Share, training and support for people who adopt a tree. The Extension and the Food Share could offer classes on caring for fruit trees, pest management, and preserving and using the food.

If a tree's "parent" moves away or can no longer keep caring for the tree, or if the person is not doing a good job, it goes on the adoption registry for a new "adoptive parent."

The signups and coordination (and much of the training) can all be done through a website, and every adoption would be listed on the website, so residents and caretakers would be encouraged to take good care of the trees they adopt (and could post pictures, harvest yields, etc.).

Think of how much good local fruit we could be enjoying in ten years using only the space we already have available near our homes and businesses. Think of the benefit to community health and wellness from having an increased supply of affordable local fruits, and the educational benefits. Imagine the benefit to local pollinators of an abundance of fruit trees throughout the city.

What's not to like? Totally voluntary, paid for by the participants, and an increase in the supply of fresh, local fruits from trees thoughtfully chosen to be right for the spot and cared for by motivated urban residents.