The Vision

To nurture thriving, sustainable, interconnected community through low maintenance food forests in every former food desert.

The Mission

Activating & engaging community intergenerationally through food forests, permaculture education, & the arts to cocreate sustainable solutions to food deserts.

Did you know?

The Southside Food Forest model has been recognized by the United Nations for scalability & replicability, actively elevating 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as a specially-accredited invitee for the historic United Nations Summit of the Future (ECOSOC + UNFCCC recognized) & was invited as a presenting organization for United Nations COP29 & United Nations CSW NGO Beijing+30 Forum on the climate for ‘‘How Music & the Arts are Empowering Community-Driven Climate Solutions, Intergenerational Leadership & the Achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals’’

Learn More about the Southside Food Forest Model Here

A local to Global vision

We dare to match creative ambition with real world solutions for impact critical to a sustainable planetary system, the restoration of biodiversity and access to fresh nurturing food systems and sources of life.

Driven by youth-led global partnerships , creativity, nature-based solutions, permaculture and shared vision, we dare to innovate, care, and uplift across generations, regions, ecosystems and cultures.

We are bold innovators, sustainability practitioners and creatives honoring the wisdoms of our elders and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, through permaculture and fostering connection with relationship to biocultural community and ecosystem.

Help us to create meaningful impact together. Impact invest today.

Nurture the Vision

How we started…

Southside Food Forest | Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Southside Food Forest model is a community garden, intergenerational learning & recreation hub minutes from downtown Winston-Salem in an area food desert. For the past five years, intergenerational & cross sector efforts by community members have planted fruit trees, herbs, flowers & berry bushes for the benefit of the community & ecosystem. Our members believe that eliminating food deserts in urban areas is essential to self-reliance & achieving prosperous, sustainable communities.

The Boy and Girl Scouts, Hispanic League, Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County, Spark Community WS, Piedmont Environmental Alliance, Winston-Salem State University, Young ECOS, Wake Forest University, International Human Rights Consortium, Sacred Spiral Holistics, DOSE Artist Collective, Activate Entertainment Winston-Salem Fashion Week, Sustainable Fashion Week US, Appalachian State University, Salem College, NC Cooperative Extension & more

...have ALL used this space for events, workshops, gatherings, internships, Eagle Scout Projects, & academic credit.

Follow us on our Instagram@southsidefoodforestwsnc

How its going…

Southside Food Forest Projects

CLick here for Plants and Map

Trees:

  • Black walnut*

  • pecan*

  • eucalyptus

  • pear

  • mulberry*

  • fig*

  • peach*

  • plum*

  • nectarine

  • apricot

  • pomegranate (seasonal addition in pot)

  • ginkgo (year round in pot)

  • persimmon

  • cherry

  • apple (multiple varieties)*

  • goumi

Shrubs:

  • elderberry*

  • blueberry*

  • blackberry*

  • milkweed*

  • hibiscus*

  • roses

  • raspberry

  • gogi berry

Vines:

  • muscadine grape*

  • passion fruit*

  • Malabar spinach

  • vining strawberry

Flowers:

  • sunflower*

  • verbena*

  • bee balm*

  • eastern columbine*

  • calendula*

  • cosmos*

  • white clover*

  • wild aster*

  • irises*

  • dandelion*

  • daffodil*

  • chrysanthemum*

  • black eyed susans* 

  • evening primrose

  • nasturim

  • marigolds

  • snapdragon

  • strawflower

  • zinnias

Herbs:

  • mint

  • bee balm *

  • lavender

  • thyme

  • rosemary

  • mugwort *

  • ginger

  • turmeric

  • comfrey

  • red+white yarrow *

  • chamomile

  • goldenrod*

  • echinacea*

  • st. johns wort

  • chives

  • borage

  • lemon grass

Ground covers:

  • clover*, crimson and dutch white

  • creeping thyme

  • strawberry

  • plantain*

  • wild violet*

Etc:

  • walking onion

  • yucca

  • prickly pear

  • rainbow chard

  • romaine

  • kale

* indicates a native plant