what is a food forest?
a high-diversity polyculture where trees and understory perennials find resilient synergy
but what does that mean?
a food forest is where fruit and nut trees grow together with many understory plants
a food forest focuses on perennials… a no-till system that attracts pollinators and some understory species are edible!
food forest soils love to be alive with insects and critters that feed on fungus and other microbes. a high diversity of plants helps to cycle nutrients to make this system self-sustaining!
trees provide shade to retain moisture from rain and irrigation, and the perennials do the same to protect young trees
once trees are old enough, their roots start talking to each other. the trees and perennials gain synergy and grow better together than they would separately
food forest applied to high desert
water is the limiting factor and the sun is fiercely strong.
fruit trees provide shade to retain moisture from rain and irrigation while providing a yield at the same time.
a high-diversity understory of perennials integrates soil improvement, pest management, and nutrient cycling like a natural forest. After a while, you can feel the synergy go pop!
the results are lush, vibrant, resilient, and tasty!
diversity… resilience… abundance… movement!
much like a natural forest that is diverse, mutually reinforcing, and strong… so is our organization. we have fun doing this together! we are all learners and teachers … we want these practices to spread until it’s a self-sustaining movement.
Seeing is believing:
Get involved!
by getting involved you can…
visit food forests ranging from just-planted to 11 years old and you will want one, too!
access free resources on this website
request a workshop for your food forest site
improve an existing orchard and develop it into a food forest
join a guild and focus on certain skills, or you can learn it all!
