What is a Food Forest?
A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse
planting of edible and medicinal plants that attempts to
mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature.
This method of gardening will allow us to help address
food insecurity for our neighbors and communities by
allowing us to a greater and greater diversity and
abundance of food with less and less effort, partly by
helping us reduce the inputs that we have to contribute to
the system.
Forest garden design can reduce inputs in various ways including:
- placing emphasis on trees, shrubs, perennials, and self-seeding annuals
- planting thickly and using ground covers to shade soil and suppress weeds
- utilizing nitrogen-fixing and nutrient-accumulating plants, chop-and-drop techniques, and returning wastes to the land to create healthy soil rather than applying fertilizer
- planting a diverse array of plants that attract beneficial insects to pollinate the fruit crops and keep pest populations from exploding and causing damage
- utilizing several ground-shaping techniques to keep rain water on the site and
- designing for placement of plants to create micro-climates and windbreaks