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Mulberry Fields Forever Mulberry Fields is a unique oasis in a rapidly developing in town neighborhood of Candler Park in Atlanta. We are located down an old city alley next to 1303 Iverson St. Come through the gate and follow the path. Its acre of open meadow, mulberry grove and towering old pecan trees offer an accessible green space for recreation, environmental education, community building, organic growing and shelters neighborhood hawks, owls, bluebirds and a variety of woodpecker species. In the later part of the 1800’s Mulberry Fields was part of a dairy farm and the oldest farm house was built on the west end of the property and still stands today.
In 1992, The land was zoned for condos and commercial development. Several neighbors bought it to preserve it. At that time Jesse Harris and Richard Bathrick created a small intown farm with goats and chickens and began creating an organic garden with the intention to open access to the neighborhood. Children and their families soon flocked to the animal pens to visit the goats, discover the wonder of fresh eggs, and play in the meadow and on the basketball court. In 1999 we received a Great Ideas grant from United Way to begin a community garden. With the help of Fred Conrad, from the Atlanta Community Food bank’s Community Gardening Project we built six large raised beds and six families signed on the join the garden. Today we have 25 households as garden participants. Mulberry Fields was named after a beloved goat, Mulberry.
Mulberry Fields has hosted Easter egg hunts for children, community potlucks, Guitar Performances, Bonfires, Peace Circles, Piano Recitals, Rehearsal Dinners and Theatrical Performances. Play groups for mothers and toddlers regularly meet in the meadow. A classroom at the Atlanta School and another at Mary Lin elementary have had growing space in the garden. In the past, other classes, Girl Scout and Brownie Troops have visited, grown food and assisted in taking extra produce to the Clifton Night Shelter. Children discover the wonder of growing their own food and learn about the life cycle of plants insects, bird’s trees and flowers. In 2007, the land was placed in a conservation easement securing its continuity as green space and protecting it from development. Partnering with the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust we hope to encourage other in town communities to protect urban natural open spaces. Our first fundraising Event in 2011 allowed us to expand our growing space and gardeners and purchase an irrigation meter to provide our own low cost water line.
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