Maximum Yield USA July 2017 | Page 78

grow cycle trends & technology

HOW TO GROW A

FOOD FOREST

by Barbara H . Shaw
Food forest gardening is a hot topic in the permaculture community and among small farmers . But it ’ s hardly a new idea . First popularized by author and farmer Robert Adrian de Jauralde Hart in his book Forest Gardening , the goal is to implement a system of land use that behaves like a forest ecosystem and is designed to yield edible harvests through sustainable and low-maintenance agroforestry .

Building a food forest begins with looking at how wild woodland ecosystems can be enhanced by careful selection and inter-planting of berry bushes , fruit and nut trees , shrubs , herbs , vines , and perennial vegetables . With a larger vision , a food forest can also offer materials and resources like fiber , teas , cooking herbs , medicine , dyes , building materials , firewood , and hideouts for small animals and kids . Though it has gained popularity over the last few decades , the idea is rooted in ancient methods and traditions . Native Americans propagated millions of fruit and nut trees in the southeast United States for generations and enjoyed a rich , high-calorie mix of nuts and dried fruits for winter sustenance and travel . In highland New Guinea , settlers replanted the best wild bananas approximately 40,000 years ago . Today , forest tribes in India harvest hundreds of wild foods , all rich in essential micronutrients . An agronomist in Ghana developed a year-round , forestbased food system that starts with a grassy sub-Saharan savannah of tall African acacias . Each climate area is unique and has its own needs .

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