Foraging in city parks
Summary
A new ordinance lets residents pick fruits, nuts and seeds in parks for personal use — building on the Seymour Park food forest and JBS Park orchard. Not for resale, and no ladders or tools that damage trees.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 18, 2026.
Impact analysis
No direct cost; liability covered by existing recreational immunity.
Residents who forage, especially near the new food forest and orchard.
Nobody directly, though critics worry loosely worded rules could expose the city to injury or illness claims.
Mentions & discussions (7)
Green Bay legalizes picking produce from public spaces
Green Bay legalizes picking produce from public spaces WBAY
Common Council - Aug 18, 2026
A first-reading ordinance would allow residents to harvest edible plants, fruits and seeds in Green Bay parks — a change to the park protection rules.
Parks Committee - Aug 12, 2026
A new ordinance lets residents pick fruits, nuts and seeds in parks for personal use — building on the Seymour Park food forest and JBS Park orchard. Not for resale, and no ladders or tools that damage trees.
Sustainability Commission - Jul 16, 2026
A draft ordinance would let residents hand-pick edible fruits, nuts, and seeds from city parks and greenways for personal use — no selling, no tools that damage plants. It's headed to the Parks Committee next, with concerns about city liability and overly broad language still to be worked out.
Common Council - May 5, 2026
Parks staff will work with the Sustainability Commission on code changes allowing residents to harvest fruit and nuts from city park trees.
Sustainability Commission - Apr 16, 2026
Green Bay may soon let residents hand-pick fruit and nuts from trees in public parks. The commission referred code amendments to Parks staff, with special 'food forest zones' for broader harvesting. Nothing is legal until the amendments are drafted and adopted.
Sustainability Commission - Mar 18, 2026
Current city code bans removing any plant material from parks — no fruit, no berries, no leaves. The healthy habitat work group wants to rewrite Section 28-3 so residents can harvest from food forests and parkland, with city attorney review of liability concerns planned.
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