Fruit Forest
What is a fruit forest
A fruit forest, also called a food forest or forest garden, is a garden that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature. Fruit forests are three dimensional designs, with multiple layers. Using this layer system, more plants can be fit into an area without causing failure due to competition.
Generally, there are seven layers of a forest garden – 1.The canopy (tallest trees), 2.The sub-canopy (shorter trees), 3.The shrub layer, 4.The herbaceous layer, 5.The rhizosphere (root) layer, 6.The ground cover layer, and 7.The vine/vertical layer. Some also like to recognize the mycelial (mushroom) layer as an eighth layer.
Once a fruit forest is established, it requires very little work to maintain. At that point pretty much all you have to do is pick food…and that’s the fun part! It’s like the healthy-food version of the Willy Wonka room where almost everything is edible.
Current status
The Coryan is off to a good start with a wide variety of food. Fruit includes; plantains, bananas, oranges, mandarins, limes, papayas, mangos, mammeas, avocados, soursops, dragon fruits (yellow ones), guavas, sapotes, mangosteens, rambutans, rose apples, tomatoes, coconuts, watermelons, goji berries, and pineapples. Non-fruit includes sugar cane, yucca, arugula, malabar spinach, sweet potatoes, camomille, and zucchini. By the time you read this, there will probably be more!
In addition, we’re building soil, we’ve slowed erosion, we’re recharging the groundwater, we’ve created some shade, and we’re attracting wildlife.
Get Your Own
If you are interested in growing your own food forest in your own yard, a company called Food Forest Abundance (FFA) can help you out. FFA designs and installs food forests all over the world. The process begins when you purchase a blueprint. Here’s a video which shows Jim Gale and FFA installing a food forest in Del Bigtree’s yard:
Get Your Own, Part II
The Coryan considers food forests a “good cause”, and is seeking to sponsor people who wish to have their own food forest. If you would be willing to do a GeeCees fundraiser, The Coryan might be willing to make a gift certificate donation to your good cause. With some more sponsors, you could end up getting your food forest for FREE! Please review how GeeCees fundraisers work, and contact us if you are interested.
Become An FFA Abundance Ambassador
The Coryan is a proud “Abundance Ambassador” of FFA. If you’re excited about the idea of food forests and you’d also love to help spread the word, you should apply to become an FFA Abundance Ambassador too.
Thank you
Cory and Angela would like to thank the following people and organizations for all they have taught us about growing food and creating a food forest:
Geoff Lawton with Zaytuna Farm, Sepp Holzer, Bill Mollison (RIP), David Holmgren, Jim Gale with Food Forest Abundance, Zach Weiss with Elemental Ecosystems, Pete Kanaris with Green Dreams, The Michigan Gardener, James Prigioni, Rob Greenfield, Mark Shepard with New Forest Farms, Stefan Sobkowiak with Miracle Farms, Joel Salatin with Polyface Farms, Shad with Atitlan Organics and the Propagation Station, Self Sufficient Me, The Natural Farmer, CaliKim, California Gardener, John VanDeusen Edwards with Food Is Free, Marjory Wildcraft, Verge Permaculture, Ron Finley the Gangster Gardener, Project Diaries, David The Good, Grow With Kit, TheKiwiGrower, Russel Manning with permaculturecolombia.com, Joshua Prieto with Panama Pure, Larry Hall (RIP) with Rain Gutter Grow System, Paul Gautschi with Back To Eden Gardening, and John Kohler with Grow Your Greens.