Edible Landscapes​

With support and partnership from community and faith organizations, Mecklenburg County works to establish community orchards to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to residents in food insecure neighborhoods. The orchards produce plums, figs, pears, peaches, blueberries, and persimmons, in addition to seasonal herbs and vegetables like squash, string beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Neighbors harvest, process, and distribute food to community members directly or through their church food pantry. Their efforts have supplied fresh, nutritious food to thousands of people in Mecklenburg County.

Any resident in need who wishes to volunteer or take advantage of their neighborhood orchard should contact and work with the below location for that orchard.

Locations

Bread of Life Deliverance Church
1245 Tom Hunter Road

Chapel of Christ The King Church
425 East 17th Street

457 Wellingford Street  |  View photos of the dedication in April 2021

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
3400 Beatties Ford Road

Galilee Center
3601 Central Avenue

Grier Heights Community Center
3100 Leroy Street

Martin Luther King MIddle School
500 Bilmark Avenue

Moore's Sanctuary AME Zion Church
4101 Morris Field Drive

Northridge Middle School
7601 The Plaza  |  View photos of installation in May 2021

Reeder Memorial Baptist Church
3725 Beatties Ford Road

Rockwell AME Zion Church
6101 Rockwell Church Road

Pine Valley Neighborhood Park
2422 Longleaf Drive

Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church
2400 Greenland Avenue  |  View photos of installation in June 2021

Community Partners

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How the Orchards Work

The Edible Landscape project is the brainchild of health policy coordinator Reggie Singleton, who worked with faith and community partners to establish the orchards.

Awards and Recognitions

The National Association of Counties (NACo) awarded the Edible Landscape project “Best in Category” in its 2019 Achievement Awards. The project was cited as an example of how community representatives and food security stakeholders work together to address a public health priority and design an intervention. This effort has been successful improving access to fresh produce for at risk populations and has demonstrated that edible landscapes can be part of a multi-level approach to improving the availability of healthy foods.

Learn More

For more information, contact Reggie Singleton at reggie.singleton@MeckNC.gov or 980-314-9485.