Kids heading home from a Port Huron elementary schools next year will have an opportunity to pick a sweet and healthy treat.
The city has announced the installation of the first of two Edible Parks.
The first Edible Park was installed in the 3100 block of 28th Street across from Cleveland Elementary School in Port Huron.
The pilot program is an initiative from the city manager’s office aimed to bring fresh fruit to local neighborhoods. The Edible Parks will be placed on vacant city lots, where a variety of fruit trees will be planted, with the fruit available for public consumption at no cost.
The first park has been installed in the 3100 block of 28th Street across from Cleveland Elementary School.
“The idea that a family can walk across the street from Cleveland Elementary on the way homeand readily grab a fresh pear, peach or apple is fantastic. This is a simple, common sense, andlow-cost initiative aimed at activating public spaces and land in a new way,” said CityManager James Freed.
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The second Edible Park is slated for the spring of 2025 near Garfield Elementary School.
“We continuously look for ways to bring value to public land located within our beautiful neighborhoods. This is a simple idea that just makes sense. If, over the next two to three years, these pilot locations work well we will expand the concept to additional sites throughout the city,” Freed said. “We really want every kid in town to have quick access to quality fruits and vegetables.”
The first Edible Park has nine trees, with a variety of Bartlett Pear, Honeycrisp Apple and Redhaven Peach trees.
Freed said the cost to install each park is less than $2,000, and the city forestry department will maintain them.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: What is an edible park? Port Huron has one near Garfield Elementary