FRIENDS OF ATLANTA URBAN FOOD FOREST AT BPCC

Just four miles south of Atlanta’s city center, the Morgan family operated a small farm that nourished the local community. Fresh produce would be left on fence posts for neighbors to enjoy with their families. Abandoned and neglected for many years, the farm’s history is still visible with several large pecan trees, blackberry brambles, and muscadine vines that now grow wild across the land. In 2016, Atlanta’s first Food Forest was created to provide fresh food to a community that has limited access to affordable and healthy foods. In order to ensure the community’s needs are served by the park and provide oversight to the Forest stakeholders formed a stewarding organization comprised of community members. The Friends of the Atlanta Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill Communities Collaborative, Inc. (The Friends) was created to ensure the sustainability of the Forest and maintain a community-centered focus. The mission of The Friends is to support the Forest and its partners, to engage the communities, help identify resources, and expand services to meet the needs of families with wrap-around services holistically.