in most parks. Bees like them, too. Lousy excuse, I think. People with bee and wasp allergies are generally aware of them and take precautions.

Kind of like how people who can't swim probably shouldn't jump into the community pool.

Also, in a world in which bees are dying rapidly, then giving them a safe place with food and pollen is probably a good thing for the planet in addition to humans.

I can't stand the sound of wheezing kids.

Bees working the flowers are so busy I can even pet their backs. They have no interest in us when there's pollen to collect.

Love it !!!!!

back in the early 1980s. The response of the Board of Supervisors was: "Too much liability." Phooey!

I think it was just an excuse not to do anything.

or maybe people picking them for resale

But how are they going to stop people from cleaning out trees and selling the fruit?

This will be interesting.

Every vacantly should be a garden-- why not??

But many times as I walk around my neighborhood, I think about how because of California's temperate climate, there should be no hungry people here. It seems like there should be no empty lots either, but meadows of wildflowers. Or both. Groves of fruit trees or plots of land to grow vegetables such as the community gardens I've seen in Britain. There is so much land, no one should be hungry.

There is a house the bank foreclosed on and had a guard there for over a year. It's still boarded up but the guard is gone. An elderly man from the apartment complex next door has planted a garden in the front yard to which he brings over buckets of water as presumably the water is turned off. I am so jealous of his lovely tomato and squash plants, already loaded with fruit. His friends all come around and talk and help weed. It makes that boarded up reminder of greed and cruelty just a little softer and more beautiful.

them over to neighborhoods for gardening.

Thee are several restaurants that pride themselves as serving Cleveland Grown products.

There is even a friend of mine who is about to make his first vintage with grapes grown were race riots burst out back in the late sixties.

cities have budgets for that in their parks departments.

i like the idea, but... where i live there are fruit trees on vacant lots, on the curb area of streets (plum apple and cherry mainly) 7 the fruit so far as i can see just goes to waste, falls on the ground, kids throw it at each other, it rots -- but people don't collect it. berry picking -- lots of wild blackberry around here but few people picking it.

for school credits
as misdemeanor punishments
as a way for the homeless or destitute to earn money that day
citizens groups or clubs working on their community image
school groups trying to earn extra money

operative words "throwing up", mental regurgitation.
If there was a strong enough will. there might be a way.

I desperately hope I'll be wrong, I really do.

The reasons will be given as protections from the few negatives. Not actual issues, just potential worse case scenarios.
The potential for fantasy problems will be judged to be more valuable than the real world benefits.
When that happens, follow the money. It will lead to vested interests in the food industry.


But you are right. This is a great idea that could be a trial of a possible national effort.