Introduction to Forest Gardening

Introduction to Forest Gardening

Designing Regenerative Perennial Agriculture

Thanks to: Ethan Roland, Jonathan Bates, Kat Anderson, Dave Jacke

A Vision of Forest Gardening

here it is

The Roots of Forest Gardening

Tending the Wild Across North America

• Kat Anderson spent 17 years interviewing native elders from around California.

• Their stories illustrate whole-ecosystem caretaking based on agroforestry and managing wild plant and animal populations for harvest.

• Analagous patterns are found in the history (and sometimes present day) of every inhabited ecosystem in North America.

Soaproot – Chlorogalum spp.• A “wild” plant physiologically adapted to human harvesting and use.

Pseudo-Domesticates in the Northeast?

Desired Conditions for FG’s

• Overyielding Polycultures

– Self-Renewing Fertility– Sustainable Water Demand– Minimal Herbivory– Healthy Plants– Directed Succession– Minimal Competition

Forest Garden Design

Potential FG Products

• Food• Fuel• Fiber• Fodder• Fertilizer• “Farmaceuticals”• FUN• (and more…)

Ecological Functions

• Nitrogen Fixers• Dynamic Accumulators• Beneficial Insectaries• Aromatic Pest Confusers• Cross-Pollination Clusters• Other Beneficial Wildlife Habitat• Microclimate Contributors

Food

Tea/Medicine/Insectary

Food/Medicine/Insectary

Ground Cover/Nitrogen Fixer

Polyculture Design

Food/AromaticPest Confuser

GroundCover/Medicine/Fertilizer/Insectary/BeneficialHabitat

FoodFood/Insectary

Food/Medicine/Insectary

Larger-Scale Forest Garden Design

Forest Garden Design Process

• Goals• Assessment• Design• Reality Checking• Implementation• Evaluation• Re-Envisioning….

Or….just start planting!

A Radical Idea: STEP INTO ACTION

• “You Have Full Authority to Improve Creation!” – Geoff Lawton

…no matter how small your wheelbarrow!

Humans are Keystone Species

• There’s a learning curve in all phases of design.

• There’s an unlearning curve in how we relate to our habitat – cultural views of people and nature as separate.

• As permaculture designers, we are building relationship with our role as ecosystem managers.

Forest Gardening Resources

References on Ecology and Reading the Landscape

• Reading the Forested Landscape – Tom Wessels

• Sierra Club Naturalist’s Guide to your region• Peterson’s Field Guide: Ecology (Eastern or

Western)• Northern Woodlands magazine• Local old-timers: farmers, foresters, maple

tappers, herbalists, hunters…

References on Indigenous Land Use

• Tending the Wild – M. Kat Anderson• 1491 – Charles Mann• Changes in the Land – William Cronon• Enduring Seeds – Gary Paul Nabhan• The Voice of the Dawn – Frederick Matthew

Wiseman

…and ultimately, the elders themselves.