Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project
Discover how the Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project (SUFFP) is transforming Syracuse's public spaces into thriving, edible landscapes that nourish both people and the planet.
Launched in 2019 as a collaboration between Syracuse University and SUNY ESF, SUFFP brings together students, faculty, community members, and local partners to plant edible greenery in city parks, study foraging habits, and explore the benefits of urban food forests — from improved nutrition to better stormwater management. By blending research, education, and hands-on action, the project is cultivating a healthier, more sustainable future for Syracuse.
Past Plantings
Past planting events have taken place at:
Oxford vacant lots
Rich & Hudson vacant lots
Kwanzaa Garden Food Forest lots
Craddock St. Vacant Lots
Elmwood Park
Springdale Park
Corcoran High School
Brady Farm Food Forest
Resources
Other Food Forests
Edible Ecosystem Demonstration Garden: Wellesley College Botanical Garden
Washington DC Area
Langley Forest Garden
Forested Creative Ecology
City of Hyattsville Food Forests
Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park, Asheville, NC
Food Forest, Atlanta, GA
International Food Forests
AgroForestry Research Trust, UK
Food Unfolded - Food Forests | Sustainable Agriculture, Nature’s way
Falling Fruit
Falling Fruit Web Map
Educational Resources
Nut Growing
NY Nut Growers Association
How to Create a Food Forest
Community Food Forests
One Community
Forested Creative Ecology
NYT - How to Grow a Food Forest
SUFFP in the News
Daily Orange Article
Spectrum News Article
Nutrient Paper
Three Southside Strand Articles
Reconnecting to Land
How to be Immortal Plant a Tree
Have you Ever Tasted Paw Paw Fruit
Falk College Article
World Forum Article
Upstate University Urban Foraging Podcast Interview
Associated Faculty
Anne C. Bellows, Ph.D
Professor, Food Studies, Syracuse University. Geographer, also trained in urban and
regional planning. Right to food and food systems activist. Teaching/research on food
sovereignty, justice, policy, planning. Focus-a) participatory land and natural resources
access, tenure, policy, and management; b) dietary diversity in expanded local food
systems that include foraging.
Katherine Korba, M.L.A.
Urban Forestry Professor, SUNY ESF. Natural Areas and Forestry Specialist, Kanopy
Works LLC, 10 yrs edible landscape design/build, i-Tree analyst, 5 yrs Natural Resource
Manager, Cornell Cooperative Extension, addressing water quality; Save the Rain Urban
Forestry; coordinating county-wide municipal tree purchase, partnerships for community-based
volunteer tree plantings.
Stew Diemont, Ph.D.
Faculty member in the Department of Environmental Biology at SUNY ESF. Research and
teaching focus on environmental field analysis, modeling, and ecosystem design. 20
years’ experience working with Indigenous Maya forestry, agriculture, and with communities
in Mesoamerica. 10 years in environmental evaluation and cultural system documentation
in North America and Europe, emphasizing food systems in urban areas.
Matt Potteiger, M.L.A.
Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at SUNY ESF. Teaching, research,
and community engagement focus on how the food we eat shapes the ecology, public spaces,
and social life of our landscapes. Has studied the intersection of food and landscape
systems in Europe, Japan, Brazil, and North American cities, and led community-based
projects aimed at creating a more sustainable and socially just regional food system
in Syracuse and Central New York. FoodPlan CNY, co-authored with Evan Weissman, established
the first comprehensive regional food system plan for Central New York.
Partner Organization
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A food forest is an agricultural system that mimics a woodland ecosystem but substitutes edible trees, shrubs, and other plants for non-edible forest plants. Fruit and nut trees make up the top canopy, while berry shrubs, edible perennials and annuals make up the understory.
The SUFFP is located along a 7 mile stretch of the Onondaga Creekwalk, largely in the city’s South Side neighborhood. Locations include Kirk Park, Corcoran High School fields, Wadsworth Park, Elmwood Park, Springdale, and others.
Yes! The SUFFP is open for anyone to come and harvest. We ask that you are mindful of how much you harvest, consider the two practices below!
Use the Rule of Three:
- Allow 1/3 of the plant to be harvested (by you and your community)
- Save 1/3 of the plant for animals to consume
- Leave 1/3 of the plant for ecosystem health and regrowth
The Honorable Harvest:
It is a traditional Indigenous practice that applies to every exchange between people and Earth. They are a set of guidelines to ensure there is no exploitation of nature and that the land will remain just as rich for future generations. (See Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer for more information)
Foraging is the act of searching for and harvesting wild foods. Wild foods refers to edible plants (such as ramps, fruit trees, sumac) and fungi (mushrooms) that grow in parks, forests, and even throughout cities that are not cultivated by humans! Foraging is a widespread but often hidden activity. The SUFFP increases access to public land for foraging.
Generally speaking yes, but individuals are encouraged to ensure that foods are safe prior to consuming them as there are poisonous plants. Do not pick from plants that do not look healthy or are in areas that seem to be polluted. Practice caution especially in the case of mushrooms!
SUFFP collaborates with the City of Syracuse on planting edible trees, shrubs, and perennial undergrowth on public lands. Currently municipal policy and code concerning foraging are under review.
The SUFFP collaborates with the City of Syracuse, local community groups, and entrepreneurs to identify preferred locations and species to plant along a 9-mile corridor on the City’s South Side. Project partners include the Syracuse City Departments of Parks & Recreation and Business & Community Development, Onondaga Earth Corps, Brady Faith Farms, Baltimore Woods, and the Syracuse-Onondaga Food System Alliance.