Yellow cherries are part of Johnston's 'edible cities' movement

Friends alerted me to a gorgeous yellow cherry tree in Johnston's Ray Schleihs Park last weekend and I learned it's OK to pick them!

Zoom in: Johnston has planted some edible landscaping for public consumption, city communications director Janet Wilwerding tells Axios.

• Separately, there's an orchard in the Town Center by City Hall that includes eight apple and four sour cherry trees.

The big picture: There's a growing number of "edible cities" where public lands are planted for anyone to harvest, the Washington Post reports.

• The movement encourages people to be involved in their park systems rather than to think of them as passive spaces.

Fun fact: Drake Neighborhood Association and the DSM Parks and Recreation Department planted apple trees along Cottage Grove Avenue in Drake Park about 20 years ago.

• DSM additionally grows strawberries for public consumption at Gray's Lake Park and at multiple municipal buildings, Parks and Recreation director Ben Page tells Axios.

Worthy of your time: The DSM Food Security Task Force has voiced support in recent years for more gardening in public spaces and to recognize foraging a human right .

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