The Next New York City Greenmarket Is On Water

New York City has seen its fair share of eccentric and wacky displays, but a new project by social practice artist Mary Mattingly may just take the cake. The concept, called Swale, is part public art expo and part mobilized greenmarket.

Swale will make natural, healthy foods accessible to the communities where it docks throughout the city. People will be able to come onto the 130-foot-long floating food market and pick their own fruits and vegetables (everything from kale to blueberries) for free.

It will also have a seed exchange program and a crowd-sourced cookbook, a great tool to help novice chefs improve their vegetable-cooking skills. Aside from the amazing accessibility to fresh food that this will provide, it also gives purpose to a cool art concept.

The barge is set to launch from Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx on July 23. It will make a host of stops, including Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governor's Island.