Forested's Rewilding Transforms Cornfield into Thriving Food Forest

On October 31, 2025, a community-driven food forest movement is taking root across Maryland. In Bowie, Forested director Lincoln Smith is leading the charge to restore a former cornfield into a thriving, biodiverse food forest. When Smith rented 10 acres from a neighboring church in 2012, he discovered a natural border of mature native trees, with wild black raspberry bushes and persimmon trees beneath the canopy.

Over the past decade, Smith and his team have planted over 100 species, allowing many more to grow naturally. This "forested agroecosystem" now features a diverse array of fruits, berries, nuts, and vegetables, all supported by a healthy ecosystem of insects, birds, and other wildlife. The food forest hosts regular events, including the biannual Forest Feast, where chefs create multi-course meals using the site's abundant produce.

Across the state, the Community Food Forest Collective has also been transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant food forests. At their 3/4-acre site on the Montgomery College campus, volunteers have spent the past two years converting a grassy area into a thriving ecosystem, adding 450 cubic yards of leaf moss, wood chips, and compost. The result is a diverse landscape of herbs, vegetables, wildflowers, berry bushes, grape vines, and nut trees, which now serves as a hub for education, community gatherings, and sustainable food production.

As these food forests continue to grow and spread, they are not only providing abundant, locally-sourced food, but also reconnecting people to the land and to each other. By inviting nature back in, these community-driven initiatives are sowing the seeds for a more resilient and equitable food system.