More than seven acres of land in Southeast Atlanta will soon become the city’s first community “food forest,” where local residents will be able to access fresh produce, free of charge.

The forest, off Browns Mill Road, will be made up of fruit and nut-bearing trees, bushes, shrubs, and garden plots. This will provide fresh produce to an area of the city that is currently classified as food insecure.

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“A food forest is kind of like a community garden. …” Smith said. “The people that live around here can come over and enhance dinner.”

It’s all part of an effort to ensure that 85 percent of Atlanta residents are within half a mile of fresh food by 2021, according to Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith, who has led the project.

Atlanta City Council recently unanimously agreed to purchase the land and transform the space, with the help of a grant from the United State Forest Service’s Community Food Service program.

Douglas Hardeman, garden manager, and his grandson; Dave Horton, a volunteer; Celeste Lomax, a volunteer and neighborhood resident; Councilmember Carla Smith and Shannon Lee, urban conservation manager of the Conservation Fund, give Closer Look a tour of Atlanta's urban food forest. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

Douglas Hardeman, garden manager, and his grandson; Dave Horton, a volunteer; Celeste Lomax, a volunteer and neighborhood resident, and Councilmember Carla Smith show Rose Scott some fresh corn that recently grew in the garden. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

Douglas Hardeman, garden manager, gives Closer Look a tour of the urban food forest with the help of his grandson. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

An urban food forest in Southeast Atlanta will be providing fresh fruits, vegetables herbs and nuts to residents, free of charge. (Photo credit: Candace Wheeler)

However, the idea for the project has been in the works for a while.

Smith said, once complete, this will be the first public food forest in Georgia and the largest forest of its kind in the United States.

On a recent afternoon, the Closer Look team took a trip to Browns Mill Road to see the land and hear the community’s response to the project.

You can hear the full conversation with Douglas Hardeman, garden manager, and his grandson; Dave Horton, a volunteer; Celeste Lomax, a volunteer and neighborhood resident; District 1 Councilmember Carla Smith and Shannon Lee, urban conservation manager of the Conservation Fund above.