LEAF's Amanda Gomm leads the Edible Tree Tour 2011

Did you know the blossoms on black locust trees are edible and taste like vanilla? Or that fruit from the staghorn sumac makes fantastic tasting mock lemonade? The 115 participants in this year’s incredibly successful Edible Tree Tour learned these tidbits and much more during the collaborative event.

LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) organized the tour with the help of partners Growing for Green (founders of Ben Nobleman Orchard), fruit picking project Not Far From The Tree, and Forbes Wild Foods.

We tasted our way through the urban forest, nibbling on tart berries from the mountain ash and tried preserved white spruce tips brought by Forbes Wild Foods. The tour began and ended in Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard. Visitors included journalists from Global Television and a writer from The Grid.  Read one report here: http://www.thegridto.com/life/food-drink/seeing-the-forage-for-the-trees/

Coming up next, our Orchard will hold the second annual Harvest Festival on September 22, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Save the date and keep your eyes on our website for more information!