Forage Oakland Toolkit

This summer I will be working on creating a toolkit, a guide- more or less, so that anyone, anywhere in the world can start their own foraged city barter network. A project can be started anywhere where there is urban fruit that is being under-utilized, which- I imagine- is in many cities throughout the world. The toolkit will be available to anyone, and will guide you through various aspects of starting your own barter network, i.e. how best to approach the neighbors; how to identify fruit in your community; how to equitably redistribute it; how to involve the neighbors. This is all to the end of creating a new collective consciousness around how we view our neighborhoods, how we interact with our neighbors, and how we can best be self-reliant and resourceful in our communities. Obviously, the barter is not a new concept, but it has fallen out of fashion so much so that it is considered quaint, charming, or even impractical. I'd like to refute this notion and present the barter as a viable means of community food security, albeit on a rather small scale, and a practical means of enjoying the season's bounty.