What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is an agricultural design approach where communities work with biomimicry, nature & the health of living soil for the long-term benefit of individuals & the community.

This is done through a variety of techniques & tricks that solve problems in an ecologically & socially acceptable way.

At an individual level, food forests or small gardens can be planted to reduce your grocery bill. Rainwater washing off your roofs can be collected & purified for use in the home or for the garden. All of these small things you can do will make the community more close-knit & resilient.

At the community level, we can consider this very street - the grass patch you walk past each day is required by the city to be mowed below 6 inches. Instead, what if we planted pollinator points, bushes or small trees that give free fruit to the community & shade to keep the street cool in the summer?

What if the city implemented separated bike lanes to calm traffic, quieting the noise from vehicles& encouraging more healthy lifestyles?

This can be done to make our community safe, resilient, & more beautiful.

...But What is a ‘Food Forest’?

I'm glad you asked. A food forest is a type of permaculture or “permanent agriculture” that utilizes native plants, perennials, herbs, vines, trees & shrubs to produce food, medicine, and other benefits to humans & the supporting of important pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, bats and even hummingbirds!

Food forests can be designed to be almost little to no maintenance at all, making them a great way to support the good health & resiliency of local communities & food systems.

There are considered 7 "layers" to forests: canopy trees (30ft+), small trees/large shrubs (10-30ft), small shrubs (10ft-), herbaceous perennials, ground covers, vines, & underground plants. In food forests, each one of these can produce food for humans, improve the soil, or provide food for important animals such as bees or birds.

This is something you can do in your yard or community garden!