Dr Rudy's Food Forest

A Food Forest is a garden or orchard which mimics a natural forest. More specifically, a food forest endeavors to recreate the self-sustaining and resilient qualities of a natural forest,  A food forest combines plants into synergistic communities, as well as using water-harvesting techniques and other strategies to maximize fertility and productivity. A food forest is created  by applying a set a principles which are collectively known as Permculture. Permaculture While conv

Woods chips are a great resource for creating a permacuture food forest. They provide multiple benefits. Most notably, they decompose into fertile soil. For my situation, wood chips were also very useful for erosion control. When I first moved in, most of my growing area was so sloped that during a heavy rain, water would flow rapidly along much of the property.That was easily corrected by laying down woodchips in such a way as to reduce the incline of the land in some locat

Hugelkultur is a method of layering wood, decompasing organic matter, cardboard, and soil to create a raised bed which is immediately ready for planting, while also promoting water-retension, and maintaining long-term fertility. There are various ways of doing this. The pictures shown here show one way.

Year six was, amoung of things, the year of the deer. They were a lot more noticable. Rabbits were also coming to visit more frequently because my cat dissapeared. However, deer had the greatest impact, feasting on cucumber leaves, greenbeans, watermelon vines, okra leaves, and sweet potatoes vines. Consequently, production was down for all these foods. On the positive side, the havest from perennial food plants (trees and bushes) was substantially higher than the previous

Year 1 was all about clearing land, breaking ground, creating beds, and planting tree. As with other fledgling food forests, most of the production (about 99.99%) that year came from annual plants -- tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, greenbeans, butternut squah, and watermelon. Production from trees and perennial bushes was limited consisted of a few pounds of figs and a handful of blackberries and blueberries. I was also blessed with an abundance of wild greens and some wild black

Year 2 was basically year 1 on steroids. More clearing, more bleds, more trees, and higher production. As with the first year, most of the production (about 99%) came from annal plants. The annuals included fava beans, shown in two of the photos. The relatively modest contribution from trees and perennial bushes consisted of about 5 pounds of figs and about 2 pounds of blueberries and blackberries.

Year 3 started with snow on the ground, which was followed by kittens, more huglekultur beds, and more planting of fruit trees and berry bushes. Production was again higher than the previous year, with about 99% coming from annual plants. Production from trees and bushes consisted of about 25 pound of figs, about 4 pounds of blackberries and I think less than one pound of blueberries. The latter have proven to be temperamental. In addition, the birds helped themselves to some

Planted more fruit trees and created more beds. I also discovered that I make frames for raised beds very easily by using pallet collars. Overall production increased. By the end of the growing season, I filled two chest freezers, each one 7 cubic feet. Frozen food consisted mostly of green beans, okra, and watermelon juice. Also had some frozen tomatoes, tomato sauce, and about 5 pounds of frozen figs. Fig production okay, but not as high as I would like, because all the tre

More new beds, more trees and bushes planted, and big increase in production. At the end of the growing season, both chest freezers (7 cubic feet each) were full. Again, most of the production (about 97% by wieght), came from annual plants - mostly okra, breen beans, tomatoes, and watermelon. Apple trees, persimmon trees, goumi berry bushes, and peach trees started producing. Harvested about 30 pounds of figs, which is okay considering that, once again, all fig trees had di