In 2009, an early version of the project, then known as Jefferson Park Food Forest, was presented at OmCulture in Wallingford, Seattle by a design team of four students as a Permaculture Design Course (PDC) final project.[4] The initiative was led by Jacqueline Cramer, a Seattle landscape designer and activist, and Glenn Herlihy, a member of the Jefferson Park Alliance, who was already involved in the community design and outreach process involved with the $8 million Pro-Parks Levy for the reconstruction of Jefferson Park.
That course was primarily taught by Marisha Auerbach, Kelda Miller and Jenny Pell with several prominent guest speakers from the local permaculture and raw vegan community. Classes were held at the Raw Vegan Source/New Earth Permaculture Farm in Redmond, at Seattle Tilth at the Home of the Good Shepherd as well as other workshop locations in 2009. Shortly thereafter, the project gained support by the Jefferson Park Alliance and moved toward its planning and development phase.
Heidi Cramer, and Daniel Lorenz Johnson, were also members of the original PDC class design team,[5][Note 2] A new group, named Friends of Beacon Food Forest,[Note 3] emerged in 2011 during the public outreach phase of the project.
Government process
In 2010, a $20,000 City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) grant was provided to hire a design team to come up with a design based on input from three public design workshops.[6]
In December 2011 the project received $100,000 from the Department of Neighborhoods to begin phase one of the food forest plan.[7][Note 4]
The P-Patch was established in 2014 with 27 plots.[2]
On August 22, 2017, the Food Forest Collective attained nonprofit status.[10][11][12]
In 2019, the food forest expanded by 1.5 acres.[8]
In 2020, to support food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the food forest increased their vegetable production.[8] The food forest is largely open harvest, which allows anyone to forage except for the designated food bank plot and the City of Seattle P-Patches.[8]
sust̓əlǰixʷali” Traditional Indian Medicine garden
The “sust̓əlǰixʷali” Traditional Indian Medicine garden grows and cultivates Indigenous plants for medicinal use and food sovereignty.[13] The garden's name originates from the Lushootseed language, which roughly translates to "a place where medicine is created."[13] It has been developed by the Traditional Medicine Department of the Seattle Indian Health Board.
Outreach
The group began an extensive outreach campaign to garner support from the community and the City of Seattle. The effort was relatively successful, garnering significant responses from local permaculturalists as well as others involved in community gardener and ecologically conscious groups.[1]
^The distinction of largest edible park on public land in the US may belong to Incredible Edible Park in Irvine, California.
^The fourth member of that PDC class final project, who, among other things, focused her attention on designing interactive, recreational and educational elements for children, no longer participated in the project beyond the class presentation and wished to remain anonymous.
^The group changed its name most likely because the Food Forest was not technically on Jefferson Park property.
^That money was provided to Department of Neighborhoods by Seattle Parks and Recreation Parks and Green Spaces Levy to be used towards community gardens in Seattle.
^"Episode 14285". The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Season 8. Episode 14285. Los Angeles. 2012-03-12. Event occurs at midway into opening monologue. CBS.