Have you ever heard of a "food forest"? It might sound like something out of a fairy tale, but it's a very real and fascinating concept that's gaining popularity in sustainable agriculture and permaculture circles. Let's delve into what a food forest is and why it's such an exciting approach to growing food.
What is a Food Forest?
A food forest, also known as a forest garden or edible forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that mimics the structure and function of a natural forest ecosystem. Unlike traditional agriculture, which relies on monocultures (single crops grown over large areas), a food forest is designed to resemble a forest ecosystem, with multiple layers of vegetation that work together harmoniously.
Food forests are built off the principles of permaculture. Every plant is planted with a specific purpose as part of the ecosystem of the overall forest. One of the best aspects of permaculture is that a good system thrives on neglect. This means less irrigation and less input from the gardener.
Another great aspect about food forests is that they create an ecosystem. Most traditional gardens are focused exclusively on food producing plants. Therefore, they lack a natural variety of plants that create a solid ecosystem. Lacking a solid ecosystem typically leads to small harvests, uncontrolled garden pests, an absence of pollinators, and poor soil health.
Since food forests intend to replicate a natural forest ecosystem, there are essential "layers" that need to be considered during their design.
Layers of a Food Forest:
1. Canopy Layer: This is the top layer of the food forest, consisting of tall trees that provide shade and protection for the layers below. Fruit and nut trees, such as apples, pears, and walnuts, are commonly planted in this layer. The canopy layer does not have to be food producing trees. For those of you in Florida intending on growing citrus, having a canopy layer of oak trees may benefit your "understory" of citrus trees. Oak trees are currently under observation for helping to prevent Citrus Greening Disease. It is important to consider that during planning of a food forest, your canopy layer may not be established yet. So immature canopy layer trees may need some time to grow to provide the benefits of the canopy layer. Lastly, the canopy layer provides a unique microclimate to all the plants underneath. This could mean anything from frost/freeze protection allowing sub-tropic and tropical plants to be grown outside of their normal zone to allowing more shade tolerant plants to be grown in the nearby area.
2. Understory Layer: Beneath the canopy, you'll find smaller trees and shrubs that thrive in partial shade. Examples include berry bushes like raspberries and blackberries, as well as dwarf fruit trees like cherry, peach, starfruit, ice-cream-bean, pigeon pea, and plum. The understory layer is one of my favorite layers. Here we can really push the limits of many plants. The unique microclimates in the understory layer allow us to explore many options for food producing trees.
3. Shrub Layer: This layer consists of perennial shrubs that add diversity and stability to the food forest. Plants like blueberries, blackberries currants, fig trees, beautyberry, goji berries, gooseberries, katuk, and chaya are often included here. This is a great layer for plants that need support from nearby canopy layer and understory layer plants.
4. Herbaceous Layer: Below the shrubs, you'll find lower growing plants. Ideally these plants are still perennials but they can also be annuals that reseed themselves. Deeper underneath the layers above them, these plants will need to be able to tolerate shade. But, if planted on the borders of the food forest you can also incorporate some sun loving plants. Examples include lettuce, kale, herbs like rosemary and oregano, society garlic, cilantro, culantro, okinawa spinach, longevity spinach, celery, cabbage, swiss chard, radishes, carrots, bush beans, peppers, eggplant, and whatever else fits your zone. The herbaceous layer also can consist of non-food producing plants. This is a great place for plants that attract diversity, pollinators, and beneficial insects to the forest. Pollinator attracting plants could be things like zinnias, native wildflowers, pentas, sages, basils, and more.
5. Ground Cover Layer: Finally, the ground cover layer consists of low-growing plants that protect the soil, suppress weeds, and add fertility. This layer may include plants like clover, creeping thyme, native ground covers, and native clumping grasses. You can also get creative here with edible ground covers like mint, sweet potato and African Potato Mint. Other good ground covers help amend soil. Many of the soil amending ground covers are in the legume family because they fix nitrogen into the soil. Nitrogen fixing ground covers include plants like perennial peanut, sunshine mimosa (native to all states around the Gulf of Mexico), chickpeas, and cowpeas.
Benefits of Food Forests:
1. Biodiversity: By mimicking natural ecosystems, food forests promote biodiversity and provide habitat for a variety of plant and animal species. While we hate to see potential food be lost to wildlife, attracting wildlife is very beneficial. Especially beneficial insects. The insects we intend to target are those that prey on harmful insects wanting to feed and even destroy food-producing plants.
2. Resilience: Food forests are more resilient to pests, diseases, and extreme weather events than monoculture crops because of their diverse plantings. Much like society.... diversity is extremely important. Diversity encourages balance. Balance encourages productivity.
3. Nutrient Cycling: The different layers of a food forest work together to cycle nutrients through the ecosystem, reducing the need for fertilizers. This concept is easily observed using the canopy layer as the example. When leaves drop from the canopy layer, they eventually make their way to the forest floor. Here they break down and add nutrients into the soil. A good ground cover layer will do the same thing by trapping moisture and nutrients into the soil while keeping unwanted weeds away.
4. Low Maintenance: Once established, food forests require less maintenance than traditional gardens, as they mimic natural systems and are largely self-sustaining. The most notable effect food forests have on maintenance is the reduction in irrigation needs. Second to that, food forests reduce the needs for fertilizers and chemical pest control.
5. Food Security: Food forests can produce a wide variety of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs, providing a sustainable source of food for communities. If you want to become more self-sufficient, a food forest is perfect for you. A good food forest can be in a small backyard or across several acres. As long as the basic principles are followed, the results remain the same. The only difference is in the total harvest... of course.
Getting Started:
Interested in creating your own food forest? Start by observing natural ecosystems in your area and learning about the plants that thrive there. Design your food forest based on the principles of permaculture, considering factors like sunlight, soil type, and water availability. Remember, food forests take time to establish, so be patient and enjoy the process of watching your forest garden grow and evolve over time.
Do you have any experience with food forests, or questions about getting started? Do you want help creating your own food forest? Let's discuss! Comment below or send us a message!
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