We are a group of neighbors who want to demonstrate that we can grow fruiting shrubs and trees, and other vegetables, producing a real bounty for the neighborhood - open to any and all, to be shared for generations. We envision a community orchard with a mix of native species and regular fruiting tress and shrubs with a few raised beds to plant annuals to provide food. Signs would help visitors know that grapes and kiwis are edible and free to pick, so our garden would serve both for food production and as a community park and gathering space.Food forest gardens reconnect city dwellers with nature while creating local food, sequestering carbon, moderating urban heat islands, and improving rainwater infiltration. High yields are achieved using “permaculture design practices”, which emphasize perennial polycultures intermixed with annual food crops, lower inputs, less maintenance and creation of landscapes modeled after woodland ecosystems. Our model is especially well suited for urban lots, which are too small for conventional agriculture, often partially shaded by surrounding buildings, and harbor toxics in the soil.We are currently collaborating with Boston Food Forest Coalition, who is helping us work with the City of Boston to place the land into a permanent conservation easement land trust.