Swale is a floating food forest built atop a barge that travels to piers in New York City, offering educational programming and welcoming visitors to harvest herbs, fruits and vegetables for free. Swale strives to strengthen stewardship of public waterways and land, while working to shift policies that will increase the presence of edible perennial landscapes.

Swale was founded in 2016 by artist Mary Mattingly, through a grant from A Blade of Grass.

In the summer of 2016, Swale launched at Concrete Plant Park in the South Bronx, one of the largest food deserts in the United States. Food deserts are a reality in many communities in New York City; as many as three million New Yorkers live in communities with limited access to places where they can get fresh produce. Swale began as an idea to advocate for food to be grown on some of the 30,000 acres of public land in New York City, through urban stewardship initiatives led by community partners in the South Bronx.

Swale currently works with Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice to run free public programming, while also providing professional development opportunities for young folks in the South Bronx. In the summer of 2017, Swale will continue to collaborate with Bronx River Alliance, The Point and the New York City Parks Department to expand access to public food in the South Bronx.

**Free and open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays 12-6pm**

**Swale will be moving to Governor’s Island beginning in September**