n a crisp November day in the South Bronx, more than 300 people made their way from Westchester Avenue below the clamor of the 6 train down a tree-lined path leading to Concrete Plant park. This is the home of the Bronx River Foodway, a quarter-acre food forest full of edible, mostly native plants. What looks like a stretch of land dotted with trees appears at first glance to be overrun by weeds, but the wild foliage has been intentionally planted by the Foodway.
During the summer, people gather herbs and berries rich in immune-supporting nutrients to dry and store with winter in mind.Offering a safe space to forage legally and for free in a mostly low-income and non-white area could be seen as a radical practice, especially in a city where collecting or destroying plants in public parks can result in a fine of up to $200.
Bimwala leads free weekly tours from spring to fall for community members, who come in dozens with baskets to take home what they find. As she nimbly makes her way through the Foodway, she stops to inspect a plant with long, fuzzy fuchsia flowers drooping with tiny seeds. “This right here is amaranth,” she says, loosening the seeds between her fingers. “In Black communities it is also known as callaloo and the seeds are used like popcorn.
The nearest Americans will get to free healthcare without a revolution against corporations.