We have described our Basic Starter Kit and have provided you with details on each of the plants that comprise the Kit. Emily intentionally chose a variety of plants that will work in synergy with the other plants in the guild. She chose plants that each fulfill a purpose and are resilient and easy to care for.
Given that, if your heart desires different food-producing plants, just ask. We love plants and have ideas for different food forest guilds.
As you may imagine, a food forest takes time to get established, fill in, and start to produce fruits and nuts. We don’t expect a harvest from the food forests we planted this year for another 3-5 years. A food forest gardener can take advantage of the initial space and sunlight to plant fruits and vegetables in a new food forest.
For instance, in the new Lansing Food Forest on Madison’s east side, we have a large expanse of land. Emily applied through the Edible Landscapes Permit Process and planned the food forest on the basis of answers given to a survey. We have completed planting the trees and shrubs on this land owned by the city.
We are taking advantage of all the space and have planted a herbaceous layer of strawberries, herbs, asparagus, and rhubarb. People who responded to the Lansing Food Forest survey in the planning stages of this venture said they wanted watermelon, pumpkins, and squash, and with the small fruit trees, the land can accommodate these sprawling plants.
A large pile of fresh wood chips awaits us at the site and Emily will be calling on volunteers to sheet mulch the rest of the food forest.
If you know of any available city land that could serve as a food forest under the process of the city’s Edible Landscapes Permit process, please let us know.
Also, if you area nonprofit organization with land and are interested in planting a food forest in 2021, please contact us.