Mulberries and my story in Memphis
In this month’s blog, you’ll hear from one of our Memphis-based orchardists working with The Giving Grove and The Works, Inc. through the Memphis Native Tree Works project. Her journey from foraging mulberries as a child in Pittsburgh to planting fruit trees in neighborhoods across Memphis offers a powerful reflection on food, community, and the importance of reconnecting people with the land. You'll read about the moment a mulberry tree sparked curiosity and conversation, and how that experience continues to shape her work as a steward of both trees and relationships.
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Contributed by Mary Schmidt, Urban Orchard Manager at Memphis Native Tree Works
A Journey from Forager to Orchardist
I was born in the north but have a southern heart. I came to Memphis thinking it would be a temporary stop on my journey, but that was thirteen years ago, and now my roots are firmly established here. My childhood was spent in Pittsburgh exploring the woods and creeks with my siblings and following my dad into the forest in search of mushrooms and mulberries. As a young adult, living in Hawai’i and feasting on mangos, papayas, and enormous avocados reinforced my connection to the land and its food.
Most of my time in Memphis has been spent as a naturalist interpreting the native plants and animals of the mid-south, but the inequities and food deserts in my community have never been far from my mind. When the opportunity arose to be part of The Giving Grove and The Works, Inc.’s Memphis Native Tree Works (MNTW) project, I didn’t hesitate to accept.
Soon after starting with MNTW, I was on a field day with my 8-year-old, and in the corner was a gaggle of kids playing underneath a mulberry tree loaded with ripe berries. The kids were serving the berries on leaves and smashing them into make-believe pies. I was ecstatic and told my daughter to climb up and grab some ripe ones for us to eat. The kids yelped that we couldn’t eat them because they were poisonous! My heart sank, and I reassured them that they were not poisonous but delicious. After a few concerned questions from parents, I convinced them that not only were the berries not toxic, but that it was okay to eat them right off the tree. With each conversation I have and each fruit tree I plant, I’m working to rectify this disconnect between people and their understanding of where food comes from. My experience with those community members and that mulberry tree reinforced in me the need for what we do as orchard managers and ambassadors.
“Creating community spaces and food sources to alleviate some of the pressures of everyday life aligns perfectly with my personal ethos and that of our organization.”
Honoring Legacy and Growing Community
In my short time here, I have had the opportunity to be part of an amazing, supportive team in Memphis, uplifting our communities and the people that call them home. I’ve also had the chance to visit my hometown and eat the biggest mulberries with new friends at Tree Pittsburgh. I have already gained an immense amount of knowledge and insight from the Giving Grove team and look forward to all the learning to come through our partnership. My favorite things about my job are working with my stewards, sharing in their harvest, meeting community members, and spreading the word about our native fruit and nut trees. I am proud to be part of a team constantly working towards rebuilding, restoring, and renewing communities in our city. Creating community spaces and food sources to alleviate some of the pressures of everyday life aligns perfectly with my personal ethos and that of our organization.
The Giving Grove program was not new to Memphis, having been undertaken by the organization Memphis Tilth. Due to unforeseen circumstances and the sudden passing of executive director Mia Madison, Memphis’s orchard program took a sad pause. We take the responsibility of honoring Mia seriously and will continue to revitalize her orchards and install new orchards every year. And you can expect to see mulberry trees on a great many of them!
