Open Harvest
Beacon Food Forest is an open harvest food forest
Beacon Food Forest has a wide and abundant variety of foods that we are eager to share with the community. Come discover what’s in season and sample more than 100 edible, medicinal, and crafting plants.
What does Open Harvest mean?
The Beacon Food Forest was founded on the core idea of fair share for all. One of the main ways that value manifests is through the policy of open harvest. We are open year-round for seasonal harvests to anyone. There are often harvest bags available to fill, or you can bring your own bag!
Open harvest is the idea that anyone can harvest from anywhere in the food forest except p-patches or the food bank plot. It follows the principle that people can take what they need and always leave some for others. This method depends on developing a relationship of trust within the community. We have never witnessed someone “wiping out” a harvest.
Open harvest is a strong and vital way to combat food insecurity and food deserts by making sure that the food is locally and sustainably grown and accessible to everyone at all times. People can get involved with the process of growing and harvesting healthy food without cost being a barrier.
Some tips to remember:
Please don’t pick from P-patches, these are rented by individual gardeners. (You can recognize them by their rectangular or hexagonal stone walls.)
All other areas of the property are open harvest zones. These include the food forest, Helix vegetable garden, pathways, hillsides, and herb spirals.
Remember to harvest gently, only take what’s ripe and abundant, and always leave some for others.
Enjoy! Share the recipes you make with your harvest with us on Instagram (@beaconfoodforest)!
Our projects are open to the public and we’re always looking for new volunteers to help us to continue nurturing this amazing place!
Header photo by Jonathan H. Lee/subtledream.com