The Fruitful City

February 15, 2018

More than half the world lives in an urban environment, notes former radio journalist and writing professor (Humber Coll., Ont.) Moncrieff. This urban landscape is full of wasted fruits, nuts, and berries, with many trees and shrubs brought by immigrants looking to keep a piece of home. But city dwellers have lost a connection to their food supply and no longer recognize the food as edible or don't have the time to harvest it. Moncrieff discovered organizations taking root in cities that, with permission, pick fruit from public and private property, and share a portion of the harvest with the owner, volunteers, and food pantries. In a time when we are concerned with food waste and buying local, she discovers the value and community formed by harvesting the urban food forest. Though Moncrieff focuses almost exclusively on Canadian cities, her findings hold true for all urban environments. She provides recipes, a list of Canadian urban harvesting organizations, and information on how to find groups in the United States. VERDICT This enjoyable and hopeful book is sure to inspire readers to start noticing the bounty growing in their own areas.--Stefanie Hollmichel, Univ. of St. Thomas Law Lib., Minneapolis

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