Cold-Climate Food Forest Design and Methods

Increased interest and demand for regional food forest models and education was the motivation behind Clear Sky Farm's agroforestry demonstration near Fort Steele, BC.  With funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, Clear Sky has implemented a showcase food forest model for Southeastern British Columbia that is both ecologically sound and productive.

Cold-climate Food Food Forest Design

The 1-acre food forest site is situated in an area previously used as a hay field and was created with a design that fits well with the existing structures, activities and landscape.  With a goal of trying to grow as many types of foods suitable to a Zone 4 climate as possible and other site influences, including cold winds from two opposing directions, an oval design was chosen for the food forest.   The outer ring of the food forest contains primarily windbreak species chosen for their rapid growth rate and hardiness (e.g. caragana, linden, poplar, and willow).  The windbreak has the tallest trees in the entire food forest system, to give as much site protection as possible, and tall vegetation on the north side also acts as a solar catchment.  The south side of the food forest has less tall trees, but still enough to provide wind protection.

As one moves into the centre of the food forest oval, there is an increase in heat accumulation, making it more conducive for fruit and berry production.  The inner circles of plants (including blueberries, haskap, raspberries, currants, apple, pear, plums, hawthorn, and saskatoon) have a higher demand for pollinators and soil nutrition, therefore the design has included both a higher concentration of pollinator plants and nitrogen fixing species.

An important aspect of the design is the concept of 'vertical stacking' where different levels of fruit trees and shrubs make good use of vertical space.  Plant placement, especially important for herbaceous stock, was chosen according to water demand, sunlight and shade requirements.  In the outer rows, annual crops can be grown in beds between the large tree and shrub species for at least 4 to 5 years.  Green manure crops that die in the winter can also be interplanted to help build the soil.

The inner three circles also have a far higher density of total plant material.  This reflects the need for more attention with harvest, pruning and water needs, as they are easier to care for in the centre ring of the food forest.  All the species, especially the food plants, have been chosen to be perfectly hardy in the cold climate conditions of the East Kootenay.  Cultivars with a wider range of ripening time were also selected, which will give some type of food from snow melt until snow fall each year.

Incorporation of sand beds, some woody material, long-season flowering and native plants has also been used to benefit the establishment of a healthy pollinator populations.  Sand beds provide nesting sites for many of the beneficial wild bees.  And woody material works well for providing habitat for many species of ground beetle.  Together with the high plant species diversity within the food forest area, these methods help to achieve excellent control of disease and insect problems.

Cold-Climate Food Forest Demonstration Video Update

Clear Sky Farm has released it's second video, produced by Curtis Hall, documenting the establishment of a cold-climate food forest in the East Kootenay.



Clear Sky was recently honoured to host a visit to the food forest demonstration with the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Judith Guichon on Friday September 6th.

First Cold Climate Food Forest in the East Kootenay Breaks Ground

Clear Sky Farm - Priyantha Muthugala photo

The East Kootenay will soon have its first demonstration Food Forest at Clear Sky Centre in Bull River. Planting of this one acre system has begun this April, and will be combined with a residential training program for how to set up and develop your own food forest.

“At Clear Sky, we are so excited to be finally putting food forest agriculture into action, on the ground, here in the East Kootenay,” says Cara Conroy-Low, Farm Manager at Clear Sky Centre. “The food forest residential training workshop from April 20 to May 5, 2013, is a wonderful opportunity to get involved and to learn directly from food forest experts,” she adds.  She also expresses that Clear Sky Centre is grateful for funding from the British Columbia Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative (AIDI ) to be able to implement the one acre demonstration project.

Clear Sky Centre came across the concept of ‘food forests’ and permaculture as an alternative to mainstream agriculture systems through a fortunate string of events. In 2008, while looking for a crop to grow on the agricultural portion of the centre’s land in Bull River, they met Richard Walker, one of Canada’s pioneers of food forest agriculture. Since then, Richard has taught two-day intensive food forest workshops at Clear Sky Centre every year. Leslie Lowe, a landscape architect and native plant specialist, is also collaborating on the food forest project.

A Food Forest is a dynamic, ecosystem approach to growing food, medicine and other yields. They are resilient, diverse systems that have the potential to produce harvests from snowmelt to snow fall each year.

Through the vertical stacking of multiple layers of useful plants, increased and more diverse food per square foot can be harvested, but in a thoroughly sustainable manner. The wide variety of mostly perennial plant species in a food forest provides greater overall stability and resilience to pests, diseases and climate than a mono crop system. Because soil is undisturbed by tillage and improved year after year through the leaf and root drop of plants in the system, the soil food web is also healthier, resulting in higher quality, more nourishing food.

Food Forests also invite community participation, learning and increased local food resilience. Michelle Heinz, Director of Operations at Clear Sky notes that “the opportunity for local growers and ranchers to contribute to sustainable local food security through creating food forest systems is clear, and food forest yields can also lead to the creation of local and innovative business opportunities.”

Every food forest is unique, and the yields of each food forest depends on its design and plant selections, which are ultimately based on the needs and wants of the individuals, families or groups that will be developing, caring for and harvesting from the food forest. Yields could include all sorts of hardy varieties of fresh fruit, nuts, herbs, vegetables, medicinals, which can also be turned into value added products including herbal tinctures and teas, fruit wines and preserves.

Join Clear Sky as they embark on this exciting project, breaking new ground and learning together starting April 20. For individuals or groups interested in participating or visiting for a morning educational session with Richard Walker in the field or to book a private consultation with him on your property, contact Michelle for more details.

Food Forest Training Workshop, Spring 2013

Clear Sky Farm is pleased to offer the first East Kootenay extended residential Food Forest training workshop, in Spring 2013.

This food forest program will provide a solid foundation in Food Forest theory (April 20-21) as well as hands-on establishment training and practice (April 22-May 5). Richard Walker, one of Canada’s most experienced forest gardeners will be teaching the course. The hands-on component will involve the planting of a one acre food forest.

Experience permaculture-based food forest gardening for cold climates firsthand. Learn how to combine layerings of perennial nuts, fruits and medicinals for an abundant and diverse food and medicine supply in your garden or on your farm.

Great for garden & food enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. If you have done a permaculture course you will find that this course provides the practical details and opportunities you need to implement permaculture’s broader principles & theories. This course attracts a broad section of experienced and knowledgeable participants who love to learn together.

A Video Introducing the Food Forest Project :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_PlCE895Rw

Food Forest Project Video

Clear Sky provides an update on the East Kootenay food forest demonstration project.

Agroforestry Practices for Devil’s Club Cultivation

There are tremendous untapped opportunities to develop and market botanical products from British Columbia's forests.  Devil's club (Oplopanax horridus) is one such species that will be the focus of new development project to determine agroforestry practices that promote its cultivation and harvesting in managed forests.  Pacific Reishi Ltd., with funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, will establish trials near Powell River, BC to:

1. Showcase the cultivation of Devil’s Club in greenhouse, nursery and forest settings; and,
2. Synthesize information on markets for this species and create a market synopsis report.

This work will support the development, adaptation and integration of agroforestry practices in coastal BC.  Through a partnership with the Sliammon First Nation, it fosters local industry and First Nations economic development and expands business opportunities in response to rapidly emerging markets for forest botanicals.

The first phase of the project will create a showpiece of integrated cultivation systems that demonstrate operational growing of one of BC’s most economically valuable non-timber forest product (NTFP) species.  Pruning, spacing, thinning, slope stabilization, soil organic matter management and fertilization will be used within an operational forest management setting with the goals of enhancing both Devil's club and timber production.

Devil’s club plants will be propagated with rhizomes, shoots and seedlings grown in greenhouse and nursery settings.  This seed stock will be transplanted to establish in vivo colonies in a managed forest.  The agroforests will be monitored for survival, growth and performance of both understory and overstory plantings.

Pacific Reishi Ltd. will also examine Devil’s Club bioactive compounds, potential nutraceutical products and markets.  They will create a market synopsis of Devil’s Club and the economic feasibility of derived products will be determined.

The long-term goals of this work are to enhance awareness of agroforestry as a viable production system to expand the number of NTFP producers in the region, as well as to promote business development for agroforestry products throughout the region and the province.

Pacific Reishi Ltd. and its principals have worked extensively throughout the province focussing on the promotion and development of botanical resources.  Their mandate is to promote the establishment of operational forest farming for medicinal plants and mushrooms, and to develop and market nutraceuticals from BC’s forest resources.

Results of the field trials and market synopsis will be shared at a conference in 2013, to be held at the Pacific Reishi Powell River facility, as well as through conferences and meetings with major stakeholders and potential producers throughout BC and Pacific Northwest.

Food Forest Demonstration Website Live

Clear Sky Center's food forest demonstration website is now live at:

www.clearskyfarm.com/food-forest/

Learn more about agroforestry on this unique food forest model which includes a wide variety of nut trees, fruit trees, medicinals, berries, vines, shrubs, timber, mulch & shelter trees, all grown together in a holistic ecosystem based design.

Agroforestry Session at the 2012 Hort Growers Short Course

The Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association (LMHIA), with funding from the British Columbia Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, is pleased to sponsor an agroforestry educational session at the 2012 Horticulture Growers Short Course.

The Horticulture Growers Short Course will be held in partnership with Pacific Agriculture Show, January 26-28, 2012 at the Tradex Exhibition Center (Abbotsford Airport) in Abbotsford, BC.

The Agroforestry Session will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 9 am to 12 pm in the Lobby Room at Tradex. It will be chaired by Dave Trotter, Agroforestry Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture. The session agenda is as follows:

09:00 - 09:30
Agroforestry Initiative - Current Projects and Funding Opportunities
George Powell, BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative 
The Agroforestry Initiative has cost-share funding for projects which benefit industry development including demonstrations, workshops etc; Outlines of current and pending projects will be provided.

09:30 - 10:00
Ideas, Opportunities & Resources – An Agroforestry Retrospective
Harold Macy, Headquarters Creek Woodlot, Merville, BC
Harold will provide an overview of the synergies and considerations from his many years of experience managing a woodlot using a forest farming agroforestry systems approach.

10:00 – 10:30
Break
Harold Macy will highlight his new book: “The Four Storey Forest: As Grow the Trees, So too the Heart”.

10:30 – 11:00
Silvopasture and Range Considerations in BC - Pilot Initiatives for a Production Approach
Lisa Zabek, Ministry of Agriculture, Kamloops, BC
Learn about the new steps that are being developed to support silvopasture as a land use option in BC.

11:00 - 11:30
Huckleberries: Management Strategies for Agroforesters
Ali Kennedy, Keefer Ecological Services Ltd., Cranbrook, BC
Ali will look at the variety of berry species along with the biological and management considerations needed to develop an agroforestry system approach to huckleberries.

11:30 – 12:00
Exploring the Possibilities of Integrated Riparian Management in BC
Dave Trotter, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, BC
Dave will discuss management considerations for the development of an integrated riparian management systems approach to specialty crops on agricultural lands.

For registration information, or to register online, please visit www.agricultureshow.net or phone 604-556-3001 or 604-857-0318.

Registration fees for the entire Horticulture Growers Short Course (including the Agroforestry Session) are $67.00 (by January 9) or $90.00 (after January 9). Registration fees include membership to the LMHIA, attendance at any or all educational sessions, admittance to the Pacific Agriculture Show, admittance to welcome reception and free parking.

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Funding for this work has been provided through the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative (AGF1104)