Sunday was the 2nd Annual seed swap. In addition to picking up a few seeds and talking to the guy at the bee keeping demo booth, we learned about a cool new project afoot in the Chambana area. The Champaign-Urbana fruit map is a google map with markers and entries for fruit trees and bushes that are “public domain” (that means free) or likely so. The idea is similar to the Fallen Fruit Project in California. The hope is to document the local perrenial food infrastructure in the Champaign-Urbana area (and also get some free fruit). It’s a volunteer-driven project that relies on community members to add entries as they discover local fruit sources.
View Champaign-Urbana Fruit Map in a larger map
Not all areas in Chambana are covered at the moment but there’s already a lot listed. Check it out, add fruit in your neighborhood, and start planning for all the jam, wine, and hard cider you’ll be making later this year.