1/4 ACRE FOOD FOREST (Saint Pete, Fl)

The videos below document May - August 2018:  18 months into the conversion of a typical urban lawn into an abundant food forest.   As of September 2018, the following trees and other perennials were growing on the property:  Avocado, Macadamia Nut, 3 varieties of figs, Papaya,  Moringa, Strawberry Guava, Sapote, Everbearing Mulberry, Jack Fruit, Lemon,…

1/4 ACRE FOOD FOREST: BEFORE

October 2016- I began transforming a typical urban lawn in Central Florida  into an abundant, 1/4 acre  Food Forest.  See slide show below for "before Pics"     Click here to view videos showing the progress that was made over the course of 18 months. (If you'd like to do something similar to this on…

FOOD FOREST & COMPANION PLANTING IN BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA

I spent the first week of April, 2016 volunteering at Circle T Farms in Brooksville, Florida--a newly forming 10 acre Permaculture Farm which (among other features) will include a large market garden, education center, and Forest Garden. Since Circle T is still in its initial phases of design/implementation, I actually got to help plant some…

SPRING PLANTINGS: A NORTH CAROLINA VEGETABLE GARDEN

Camille and I (Riley) spent the first two weeks of March (2016) working at Blue Ridge Napping Institute in Moravian Falls, North Carolina.  Our main task was to help (owner) Tom direct seed and transplant hardy and semi-hardy vegetables into his Spring Garden. First we started (from seed) several flats of onions, kale, lettuce, tomatoes,…

SOIL EROSION

Today at Blue Ridge Napping Institute, Camille, our friend Jess, and I (Riley) helped Tom open the flood gates on his pond in order to flush out two years worth of sediment. Before we opened the gates, the pond's dam was filled to the brim with sand, and the water was only a few inches…

THE DAFFODIL: A FRUIT TREE COMPANION

Our second day at Blue Ridge Napping Institute was spent surrounding forest for wild daffodils, and then digging them up and transplanting them around the base of fruit trees in Tom's small orchard.  (Blue Ridge Napping Institute is Tom's North Carolina homestead and an artist retreat; work-trade volunteers help him maintain the property in exchange for…

SCHOOLYARD PERMACULTURE

During the summer of 2015, I consulted with a non-profit organization in Central Florida that manages eight elementary schoolyard gardens.  Their mission:  " to eliminate poverty as a factor in educational success and diet-related health issues". In pursuit of this goal, volunteers and staff members provide students and their families with opportunities for hands-on learning in…