We have had a good few people ask us what our aim is, and what we are wanting to achieve on our block. I stumbled upon this video today, which explains exactly what we are aiming to do. We are nowhere near as far along as you see here, but it gives a good indication of the plan.
Essentially, a food forest is exactly as it's name implies. It is a forest, that is made up predominantly of fruit producing plants. As you would see in a tropical forest, a food forest contains plants in all of the different story's. There are canopy plants, producing fruits and nuts, ranging right through to ground covers, producing things like berries or tubers.
A food forest needs to be completely self sufficient. Like a tropical forest, a mature food forest needs to be actively nutrient cycling, so that there is no work required by the beneficiaries of the forest. Have you ever wondered why a tropical forest is so lush and healthy? There are a combination of reasons, but one of them is that the nutrients in the system are continually recycled. Things grow, things die, and the nutrients are returned to the soil, to provide for the next generation of plants.
A food forest provides food for the varied species living in and around it. While it is not a true forest; it is a man made interpretation of a real forest, utilising and exploiting the natural processes that keep our natural forests so lush.
Have a look at this video. It runs for only 7 minutes, but in that time you will see the potential in this type of system. And while you are at it, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/permifoodforest/videos
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