Delridge Food Forest and Community Space: Site Proposal

Delridge Food Forest and Community Space

Site Proposal

Created by Maddie Buehrer, Kaylie Treskin and Bing Wan

Table of Contents, Vision and Background

4-5: Project Considerations

6: Site Map

7: Planting Zones

8: Current Site

9: Future Vision

10: Vegetation Patterning and Guild Planting

11: Food Forest Layout

12-15: Planting Palette

Land Acknowledgement

”We would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe. We would also like to honor the Muckleshoot Tribe, who inhabited the Duwamish and Upper Puyallup watersheds, and who greatly supported this class project.”

We envision the Delridge forest transforming into a food forest and community kitchen and gathering space. Local tribes like our Muckleshoot Tribe community partners, Delridge community members, and other Seattlites could use the space as a resource to access native plants and culturally significant foods, educate others on their food and medicinal uses, gather with others, and reconnect to the land. Outlined is our analysis and ideation of what the space could transform into.

Bing: “Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy for provision of local needs” —Bill Mollison. Drawing inspiration from the principles of permaculture, as articulated by Bill Mollison, I am particularly drawn to create a vibrant and resilient ecosystem within the Delridge Native Forest Garden. My vision for this project is to establish a flourishing food forest that not only tackles food insecurity challenges but also fosters local ecosystems. By mimicking the patterns and relationships found in nature, we are able to cultivate a diverse and productive landscape that harmonizes with the surrounding environment, and contribute to the health and vitality of the ecosystem.

Maddie: Through the teachings in this class I was exposed to many ideas and complex issues. When thinking about the direction I wanted to take this project, food sovereignty was something that kept coming up for me. As a food systems nutrition and health, and environmental science major I am deeply interested in the intersection of food, community and the environment, so I decided that the idea I wanted to bring forth was that of a community kitchen and gathering space on the site. My part of the project explores the benefits of creating a community kitchen within the Delridge WSDOT site in West Seattle, integrating principles of Indigenous food sovereignty, native plants, addressing food insecurity, confronting historical redlining, and fostering community empowerment. By leveraging the unique characteristics of Seattle, this project aims to create a holistic approach to addressing food access issues while nurturing a sense of community collaboration and cultural awareness and appreciation.

Kaylie: I created a planting palette for the site that incorporates both native edible plants and non-invasive edible plants. After learning from Warren King George and class readings about the cultural significance of plants and nature in the area, and then learning more on the site and surrounding communities, I felt it was pertinent to bring back a diverse array of native plants. Not only will it increase ecosystem diversity in a space that is currently overgrown with invasives, but it will allow the surrounding community to access fresh, healthy food. Over 10,000 people in the Delridge area of West Seattle live below the federal poverty level, and affording food is a struggle. In Southeast Seattle—only 20 minutes from Delridge—1 in 4 households is food insecure (West Seattle Food Bank and “Food Insecurity”). This is a product of a long history of redlining, segregation, and employment and financial discrimination that allowed the City of Seattle, banks, and companies to underinvest in historically Black communities and created food deserts as a result (Honig 2021, “Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project” 2020). I hope that this book will inspire the community to use the space as a food resource, as part of a greater movement towards food justice.

Community Empowerment

Central to the success of this project is community empowerment, engaging residents in the planning, design, and operation of the community kitchen. By fostering partnerships with local organizations, Indigenous communities, and urban and sustainable agricultural initiatives, this project empowers residents to take ownership of their food system and contribute to collective well being. Additionally, the community kitchen serves as a hub for educational programming, culinary workshops, and cultural events, promoting skill-building and cultural exchange.

Project

Historical Redlining

Historical redlining practices have perpetuated systemic inequities, contributing to disparities in access to resources, including healthy food options. By creating a community kitchen, within the Delridge neighborhood, an area that has been historically marginalized by redlining, this initiative serves as a symbolic repudiation of past injustices. It promotes inclusive development, reclaiming public spaces for the benefit of all residents.

Food Sovereignty

Incorporating Indigenous food sovereignty principles emphasizes reclaiming traditional food systems and honoring Indigenous knowledge. Integrating native plant cultivation within the park space can showcase Indigenous food traditions and promote environmental sustainability. Cultivating native plants supports biodiversity, enhances meal nutrition, and fosters a deeper connection to the land and cultural heritage.

Considerations

Food Apartheid

Many residents of Seattle are suffering from food insecurity and food apartheid, which disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Placing a community kitchen within this site extends access to nutritious meals to those in need, fostering food security and promoting equitable distribution of resources. Additionally, the utilization of locally sourced ingredients, including native plants, supports sustainable food practices and strengthens community resilience against food shortages.

Planting Zones

We explore the different planting zones around the community kitchen base on the needs and functions, to create an efficient and productive system that work in harmony with nature. Each zone is carefully designed to optimize space, resources, and energy while promoting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Current Site

Future Vision

Patterning

The use of guild planting mimics the natural patterning, and groups together mutually beneficial plant species to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. Each plant serves a specific function to support the overall health and productivity of the ecosystem. For example, the diagram below showed nitrogen-fixing plants like Oregon Grape, and ground covers like sword ferns help improve the soil fertility in the area. The selection of herbs like rosemary can repel pests and attract pollinators. The root layer, such as daikon can help breaking up the soil. This combination of diverse plants ensures a resilient food forest ecosystem, providing suitable habitats for different plant species.

Guild Planting

Visions for Delridge Native Food Forest Garden

Food Forest Layout

Plantings would be arranged to mimic the seven layers of a forest.

Image credit: Garden City Harvest

Plant Palette

Native plants hold enormous significance for tribes in the area for cultural, spiritual, environmental, and many more reasons. While we as non-Native people can only begin to grasp the cultural significance, we have been taught that plants are treated as relatives, with deep respect and knowledge that all are interconnected with one another and the humans in the environment. They are used as food, for spiritual practice, and seen for their power. We would like to honor the importance of native plants by returning them to their natural environment, where tribes could gather for plants just like traditional practices allowed for. The palette also includes plants that are non-native but not invasive, in order to provide more food options.

Native plants are marked with a symbol.

1. Canopy Layer

2. Low Tree Layer

Red Alder

Hazelnut

Western Red Cedar Bigleaf Maple

Serviceberry

3. Shrub Layer

Wild Rose

Blueberry

Lady Fern

Bracken Fern

Camas

Stinging Nettle Huckleberry Bearberry

Bulrush Salal Salmonberry

Indian plum

Oregon Grape

Sword Fern

Ocean Spray

Thimbleberry

Licorice Fern

Elderberry

Verbena

Wild asparagus

4. Herbaceous / Herb Layer

Rhizosphere / Root Layer

6. Soil Surface / Ground Cover Layer

Rosemary

5.

Bitterroot

Lemon Balm

Inchelium Red Garlic Onion Potatoes

Jerusalem artichoke

Daikon Devil’s club

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

Nasturtium Clover

Ajuga

Sweet woodruff

7. Vertical Layer / Vine Layer

Trumpet Vine

Dandelion

Creeping raspberry Corsican mint Stinging nettle

Honeysuckle Trumpet-flower Squash

Cucumber

Melon Clematis

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