About
Land Acknowledgment:
Volunteers at Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO) acknowledge that we are gardening in an area that is the ancestral home of Coast Salish peoples, who have lived here since time immemorial. These Indigenous people continue to live and thrive here today. We honor their continuing demonstration of respectful and reciprocal relationships with land, people, and all other forms of life and we seek to learn more about the rich Indigenous history of our area.
History:
Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO) is a garden on a 12,000 square foot plot, located next to Interstate 5 in the Green Lake neighborhood. FECO is leasing the land from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the current manager of this public land.
In 2010, a small group of neighbors planted the first fruit trees and began transitioning the grass and invasive plants to planting guilds.
Today, FECO is a hub where neighbors and volunteers connect. We welcome everyone. No special skills are needed and we have tasks for all levels of ability.
Vision: Throughout Seattle, people adopt unimproved public land in order to increase its value to the community.
Mission: Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO) manages a highway right-of-way, producing healthy food for those in need and providing a destination for neighbors and visitors to connect with each other and also with the land.
Goals:
• Provide all community members with the opportunity to connect, contribute, learn, share, and lead
• Prioritize outreach to neighbors without access to land in order to increase their representation in orchard and garden activities
• Spread leadership roles and responsibilities among volunteers to encourage deeper involvement from more community members
• Maintain a beautiful, safe, and welcoming space for visitors and volunteers to enjoy and to reflect upon nature and relationship to the land
• Display intentional land practices that support soil health, pollinator habitat, water conservation, and materials recycling
• Demonstrate gardening techniques aimed at providing fresh fruit and produce, the majority of which is donated for families in need
• Host celebratory events, educational workshops, and plant-related mentorships
Contact us at freewayestatescommunityorchard@gmail.com.
Support us at FreewayEstates.org – donations.
If you are visiting the site and have an idea about how it can be more useful, don’t hesitate to leave a reply. We would be delighted if you want to become involved.
Served by buses:
26X – Northgate to Downtown, get off on Latona, at NE 60th
62 – Downtown to Sand Point via Fremont, get off on NE 65th, under I-5
45 – Crown Hill to UW Stadium, get off on NE 65th, under I-5
Seattle, WA 98115