The Newport News Green Foundation has recently acquired a 5.02-acre parcel of land in the Southeast Community. The Property and Resource Committees of the Foundation have committed to developing this property into the peninsula’s very first Food Forest.
Donated by the Sarfan Family, the space will be called the Meyer and Dorene Food Forest at Chestnut and is intended to address food scarcity in the area as well as promote the environmental benefits of productive green space.
Conceptionally, food forests model the structure of a young ecosystem by producing food in small green spaces and providing host environments for a variety of beneficial organisms. However, as the spaces mature, they also become dynamic areas to promote community connection and pride by offering opportunities to interact and connect with neighbors.
The Foundation is currently working with the Virginia Tech Community Design Assistance Center to develop a phased development/planting plan for the property. A community gathering to provide feedback on the initial design will be held in the summer of 2022. To ensure an invite to the gathering, please fill out the information below.