On Saturday, October 2, local permaculture and food forest expert Dustin Bajer joined PUF volunteers at the Farm to discuss the principles of food forestry, its many benefits, and how we can get started with our own food forest at Prairie Crab Farm. Creating food forests is a way of supporting a richly productive agricultural landscape that work with nature, rather than against it, saving volunteer labour in the process.
The foundations of food forestry are based on mimicking the many layers of plant life that make up a natural forest, from the root layer to the canopy, supporting a diversity of food crops, wildlife habitat (including our pollinators!), water retention, and healthy, nutrient-rich soils, all in an attractive landscape that just begs passersby to stay a while.
We will be working to transform our mini orchard into a food forest this Fall and next Spring, starting with removing quack grass and other weeds, introducing rich compost and mulch, and planting an understory layer, including different types of berries, rhubarb, and vines. If you would like to participate, come join us during our remaining volunteer sessions this season, and next Spring!
On Saturday, October 2, local permaculture and food forest expert Dustin Bajer joined PUF volunteers at the Farm to discuss the principles of food forestry, its many benefits, and how we can get started with our own food forest at Prairie Crab Farm. Creating food forests is a way of supporting a richly productive agricultural landscape that work with nature, rather than against it, saving volunteer labour in the process. 
