Agroforestry is the combination of crops (plants, animals, fungi) and trees in forest-inspired agricultural systems that benefit both humans and nature. However, without proper design examples it is hard to sustain. Luckily, Backyard Abundance, an environmental education non-profit organization, has now released an open-source document on how to create your own “food forest” through what is called, Edible Agroforestry.
Human communities benefit through a greater connection to landscapes, improved stewardship of resources, and enhanced economic opportunities. Not to mention it is a low-maintenance plant-based food production which replicates natural ecosystems and could possibly even supply us with free food one day.
Currently, 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 without proper design examples of best-practices.
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.
These so-called food forests are so popular that even New York has its own mobile floating food forest.
H/T to themindunleashed
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