Elements of a Food Forest Garden
How to Create a Waterwise, Edible Landscape
Join Derek Downey of Whole System Designs as he goes through the steps of creating Pollinators Paradise, a demonstration food forest garden in Dixon, as part of the Solano Sustainable Backyards program.
Swale & Berm
Derek met with Sustainable Solano’s Food Forest Keepers and other interested attendees to talk about food forests and answer questions.
Additional Resources
Use the links below to find more resources
Green Infrastructure/Garden Programs
Plant Resources (including local nurseries)
Sustainable Landscaping Professionals
Resources from Derek Downey’s Q&A
Here are some online resources that will help Food Forest Keepers:
- https://rescapeca.org/resources/for-communities/
- http://lawntogarden.org/
- https://www.landscapecalculator.com/calculators/mulch
- https://permies.com/t/40/14510/Food-Forest-plant-list-USDA
- https://pfaf.org/user/default.aspx
- https://crfg.org/
Mushrooms:
- Fungi Perfecti, Paul Stamets
- https://fungi.com
- https://albopepper.com/wine-cap-mushroom-bed-cultivation-stropharia-rugosoannulata.php
- (Home Depot carries these on their shelves) https://backtotheroots.com/collections/mushroom-grow-kits
Global Inventory of Perennial Plants PDFHere is a link to website version and more from the creator of this resource: http://www.perennialsolutions.org/a-global-inventory-of-perennial-vegetables
Here is an Online Nursery of perennial vegetables, based in Humboldt County: https://www.rollingrivernursery.com/component/virtuemart/perennial-vegetables-and-herbs/perennial-vegetables
Fruit Trees
Here’s a excellent resource regarding planting a fruit tree guild: https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/how-to-
build-a-fruit-tree-guild/
Soldier Fly Bin/Bio Pod
My Soldier Fly Bin has grubs already since the Q&A! It is a warm-season composting alternative (quickly turn any food waste in to chicken / fish feed). It will not yield much compost (only 5% of feedstock material will remain as castings) as most of the biomass is converted into grub biomass.
- Here is the commercially available bin that I have used for a long time and enjoy … though it is quite pricey now at $179) https://www.theaquaponicsource.com/shop/worms-and-composting/black-soldier-fly-bio-pods/biopod-plus-black-soldier-fly-larvae-bin/
- I have seen larger systems more applicable for farm setting here (or food processing method for large food waste producer) http://www.protapodusa.com/
- You can also build your own system using wood/plastic tubs … here is a cool DIY bin for serious production (just search around the internet for other options) https://gardenpool.org/beneficial-insects/black-soldier-fly-composter-automatic-chicken-feeder
Books
- Edible Forest Gardens (Volumes 1 and 2) by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier
- Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway
- How to Make a Forest Garden by Patrick Whitfield