On Earth Day April 22, Paradise Permaculture Institute will be hosting a Food Forest Workshop in Livingston Montana.
Our permaculture demonstration site will be prepped, holes dug and staged so participants will be able to focus on the skill and art of replicating nature in an edible ecosystem. Just like putting together the pieces of a puzzle.
The goal is to provide people with a plant list appropriate for our climatic zone, the “hows” and “whys” of compatible plant placement and the necessary information for successful planting so they can duplicate an edible foodscape wherever they choose.
Many of us would love to enjoy nuts, fruit and berries outside our backdoor!
Our model will be the size of an acre with 20+ different species of trees, shrubs and plants and 127 plantings. These principles can be applied to a backyard to create food growing on different levels. A tree canopy can hold an amazing amount of nuts. The understory of fruit trees generates our favorite local fruits. Low shrubs provide many types of berries and ground covers provide even more edibles. A formal food forest has eight layers from canopy to ground cover with edible vines such as grapes and kiwi, both can which be grown in Montana. When we think of growing vertically as in a food forest we increase our yield, decrease evaporation loss, supply plants for fixing nitrogen, trap carbon and store vast amounts of water.
Food forestry is an alternative, self-sustaining, economic model for growing food as well as repairing and regenerating the environment.
The workshop will be presented by Mona Lewis based on the work of a Canadian food forest pioneer, Richard Walker, author of Food Forestry, North of the 49th (parallel).
At Paradise Permaculture, we demonstrate how to work with nature to co-create abundant foodscapes and sacred spaces.
More information and workshop registration can be found at www.paradisepermaculture.org or by calling (406) 222-9999. Please call for location. Workshop space is limited so please register early.
Fee: $49
Time: 8am to 5pm