This NYT story may be a quirky diversion about a few people foraging for edible plants in  parks…or a harbinger of what could become general as we head into an uncertain food future.

It reminds me of the Tragedy of the Commons, the often-quoted essay by Garret Hardin about what happens when some people exploit the [...]]]>

This NYT story may be a quirky diversion about a few people foraging for edible plants in  parks…or a harbinger of what could become general as we head into an uncertain food future.

It reminds me of the Tragedy of the Commons, the often-quoted essay by Garret Hardin about what happens when some people exploit the common good for personal profit, ruining the common space for the rest. Often-misquoted may be a better way to put it, at least by people who use it to denigrate our inherent affinity for cooperation. (Hardin himself later said it should have been called The Tragedy of the Unregulated Commons.)

But what to do, for now, about the tasty stuff growing in parks? This example from the article might demonstrate how early we are in working this stuff out:

Some natural areas outside New York City accommodate foragers. Sandy Hook in New Jersey, which is part of the federal Gateway National Recreation Area, limits the harvesting of beach plum fruit, berries and mushrooms to “one quart container per person, per day,” said John Harlan Warren, a spokesman for the recreation area.

The largest fig tree in Canada is taking over a residential backyard in Burnaby, BC. Or it would be if it weren’t being expertly tended by its owner, Umberto Garbuio.

Umberto gets hundreds of pounds of figs off his monster plant each year. He eats some, gives away some, makes jams and [...]]]>

Fig Maestro Umberto Garbuio

The largest fig tree in Canada is taking over a residential backyard in Burnaby, BC. Or it would be if it weren’t being expertly tended by its owner, Umberto Garbuio.

Umberto gets hundreds of pounds of figs off his monster plant each year. He eats some, gives away some, makes jams and wines and still hasn’t gotten tired of them. And who would? The taste of a warm, sweet fig is a Mediterranean treat.

Italian Honey Fig Tree

But is Umberto’s tree really the largest? It was reported as such in the Vancouver Sun a few years ago. Ever since, people with  big fig trees of their own have sought him out, convinced there’s been some mistake. One look at his 40-foot-wide by 16-foot-high plant, and they invariably leave humbled.