Dedication Ceremony of Food Forest - 11/23 - 1pm

AUSTIN, Texas – The North Lamar International Merchants Association (NLIMA) invites anyone in the city to attend the Ribbon Tying Ceremony to dedicate the new Food Forest planted at the corner of Kramer Lane and Parkfield Drive. The event is set from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 23rd. The public is asked to bring colored ribbons that they can write messages of hope, in memory of loves ones who have passed, or good wishes for the future, which everyone will tie onto the various fruit trees planted at the site. Markers will be provided, and ribbons will be available for those who cannot bring one. Inflated balloons will be given to children in attendance, a bubble machine and a dessert truck will be on site for the festivities. Residents near Lamar Boulevard and Braker Lane are particularly encouraged to attend. The new Food Forest was planted on October 5th by members of NLIMA in collaboration with the Soul-y Austin Program in the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, and with the assistance of the Austin Community Tree Preservation Board. Soul-y Austin helps business districts form merchant associations dedicated to cultivating a strong, vibrant, culturally rich and historically rooted business district serving their immediate neighborhoods and the broader Austin community. The North Lamar International Merchants Association has been working with the Soul-y Austin Program as a collaborative partner for the last two years. A Food Forest is an age-old agricultural strategy where people plant diverse types of edible, climate appropriate plants that form strong, mutually supportive relationships, creating a system that sustains itself over time. The NLID Food Forest will be open to the community to enjoy as a park and, once the plants are mature enough to produce, anyone is welcome to harvest the fruit from the trees, free of charge. The goal of the NLIMD Food Forest is to address the critical need for every person, regardless of income, to have access to fresh, healthy, organic food. The project also contributes to the beauty of the community and health of its residents by installing plants that filter pollution out of our air and water, create more shade, and provide an incentive for people to get outside and engage in physical exercise and community building by participating in park maintenance events. The site for the Food Forest was generously provided by Tu Nguyen of Farmers Insurance and is made possible by the generous financial support and labor of the NLIMA Board of Directors, business members, TreeFolks, Austin Parks Department, Austin Park Rangers and Community Court.