Edible Agroforestry: Designing Your Own Food Forest

by Lance Schuttler, The Mind Unleashed

Backyard Abundance, an environmental education non-profit organization, has released an open-source document on how to create your own “food forest” through what is called, Edible Agroforestry.

Backyard Abundance says this about their pdf document “Edible Agroforestry Design”: 

Agroforestry is the combination of crops (plants, animals, fungi) and trees in forest-inspired agricultural systems that benefit human communities through a greater connection to landscapes, improved stewardship of resources, and enhanced economic opportunities.

Current edible agroforestry research is extensive, but specific planting layouts are sparse and typically focus on only a handful of species and techniques. Without design examples of best-practices, growers are confronted with a huge barrier of time, money, and risk associated with researching planting configurations, estimating implementation costs and payback, and experimenting with planting techniques.

The “Edible Agroforestry Designs” document provides design templates of edible agroforestry practices to aid growers with the design, implementation, and management of environmentally-beneficial ecosystems that support personal income and community needs.

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