The Forest Garden – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us for an engaging conversation with Jonathan Carr on the topic of regenerative orchard practices and a variety of other topics on the podcast today. To quote the writing on one of the hard cider bottles I've got on top of my fridge... "Preservation Orchard is the home of Carr's Ciderhouse, where we practice regenerative agriculture and evolutionary orcharding-- low input silvopasture for carbon sequestration, no spray for avian and pollinator habitat, and traditional and experimental cultivars for pest & disease resistance." If any of these topics interest you, tune in today to learn about how Jonathan, his family, friends, and cooperative farmers are putting regenerative principles into practice in Western Massachusetts.

Preservation Orchard Links:

https://www.carrsciderhouse.com/

https://www.instagram.com/carrsciderhouse/

https://www.meadowfedlamb.com/

https://www.instagram.com/meadowfedlamb/

https://pioneervalleyapiaries.com/

Lotta Crabtree Fund:

https://www.umass.edu/stockbridge/lotta-agricultural-fund

^And here's a UMass news article elaborating further.

Tree crop varieties Jonathan name drops in the episode:

Baldwin apple

Virginia crab, Hughes crabapple

Old Fashioned Limbertwig apple

Grimes Golden apple

Ralls Janet apple

English Apples:

Dabinette apple

Kingston Black apple

Yarlington Mill apple

White Jersey apple

Kokusu mulberry

Imshu heartnut from Grimo's Nut Nursery

P.S. this episode is a follow up of sorts to an interview we did with Matt Kaminsky a.k.a. Gnarly Pippins last year. Check out our "Feral Apples with Gnarly Pippins" episode if you haven't already.

Black Walnut in alley cropping systems is the topic of today's podcast episode. With a very special guest who you may have heard of. Join us to learn all about Ben's thesis research in a fun co-host interview that we've been meaning to record for many months now. This species is so much more than the juglone, get over it non believers! Don't forget to follow us on instagram @forestgardenpodcast

First chapter of Ben's thesis (published):

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-023-00909-0

Ben's thesis via Mizzou online archive:

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/91489

Ben's instagram and youtube:

https://www.instagram.com/the.forest.gardener

https://www.youtube.com/@theforestgardener4011

Other relevant links:

https://centerforagroforestry.org/

Center for Agroforestry Youtube

You spoke up and we listened! Responding to a survey we put out earlier this year on our instagram page, which is @forestgardenpodcast, we decided to do an episode on ground covers in the forest garden. And who better to talk about this topic than the man who wrote the book on forest gardens in North America, Dave Jacke (with co-author Eric Toensmeier, who we have previously interviewed... and you should check out that episode too). Today's episode discusses ground covers, but also dips into a range of topics related to forest gardens and Dave's experience writing the book Edible Forest Gardens Volumes 1 & 2. Stick with us for an episode jam packed with useful info.

Dave's links:

• https://www.edibleforestgardens.com/
• contact: davekjacke@gmail.com

Chelsea Green link to purchase the books:

• https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/edible-forest-gardens-2-volume-set/

Today's episode dives into the community fridge model, a concept that became common in the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic as more and more people in urban areas across america became food insecure. Join us today, as we learn about the origins of Fridgeport, the community fridge project based in Bridgeport, CT. Be sure to check out the links below, and consider making a peapod delivery donation to the fridge itself at the location listed here:

• Fridgeport address for donations: 219 James St, Bridgeport, CT 06604
• https://bridgeportmutualaid.org/what-do-you-need-what-can-you-offer/
• https://www.facebook.com/Fridgeport/
• https://www.instagram.com/fridgeport/
• https://www.instagram.com/fridgehaven/
• https://www.instagram.com/fridgeford/

Today's episode is all about the winter harvest, and the reality of starting a farm in New England where land is not affordable. Tune in for our interview with Dakota Rudloff-Eastman of River Ridge Farm to learn about what the land acquisition process looks like for a new farmer trying to set their roots, leasing vs. owning, how four season farming with the double cover method works, which vegetables produced through this method do best at the market, advice for young farmers trying to get started, and much more. Find us on instagram @forestgardenpodcast and Dakota & Matt at the links below:

• https://www.riverridgefarmandmarket.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/riverridgefarmct/
• https://www.facebook.com/Riverridgefarmandmarket

Starting a farm resources mentioned by Dakota:

• https://www.ctfarmlink.org/find-a-farm
• https://newenglandfarmlandfinder.org/new-england-farm-link-collaborative
• https://www.fsa.usda.gov/
• https://www.farmcrediteast.com/
• https://www.dirtpartners.com/
• https://landforgood.org/
• https://www.thecarrotproject.org/

How many of y'all have heard of the long root ale? Climate smart honey oats cereal? How about Kernza? The main ingredient in these products, and the perennial grain that has the potential to revolutionize our modern agricultural system. Tune in today for a deep dive into Kernza and the other perennialization projects taking place at the land institute. Tessa Peters fills us in on the history of perennial grain research in the U.S., what Kernza is, where it grows, what conditions it prefers, what hurdles perennial grains have to overcome in our current agricultural model, and much more. Don't touch that dial! Find our guest at @thelandinstutue and us on instagram at @forestgardenpodcast.

Links:

• https://kernza.org/
• https://landinstitute.org/

Join us for our discussion with Linh Aven, regenerative farmer and chef extraordinaire. Linh has a fascinating background in both molecular biology and gastronomy, which she applies to her current practice as a regenerative farmer. Today we learn about her story and how it brought her to forest farming in Nottingham, New Hampshire. In today's episode, we cover a wide variety of topics including the layout and design of Dandelion Forest Farm, what a csa box from the farm looks like, the agroforestry products Linh has been working on, Linh’s farm to table dinner series, and much more. You can find Linh on instagram and facebook at @dandelionforestfarm, and us on instagram at @forestgardenpodcast. Linh's links: https://www.dandelionforestfarm.com/ Links to topics discussed in the episode: https://route9cooperative.com/ https://www.regenerativedesigngroup.com/ http://www.twisted-tree.net/ (Akiva Silver) https://www.perfectcircle.farm/ (Buzz Ferver) https://www.eco59.com/ (CT local ecotype project) https://edgewood-nursery.com/ (Aaron Parker, local ecotype seed) https://www.riverhillsharvest.com/ (American Elderberry) https://www.facebook.com/BigRiverFriend/ (Big River Chestnuts, Jono Neiger) https://www.foragersharvest.com/store/p240/HickoryNutOil.html (Sam Thayer, hickory nut oil) https://www.yellowbud.farm/ (Jesse Marksohn + co., hickory nut oil) https://northeastpermaculture.org/ (PAN)

Welcome back podcast listeners! This episode is jam packed with information about fruit and nut trees. We consider ourselves very lucky to have Buzz Ferver of Perfect Circle Farm on the podcast today, sharing his wealth of knowledge with us. Tune in to learn about Buzz's backstory, his introduction to tree crops and regenerative systems, the history of tree crop selection in the early 20th century in North America, and much more. If you stick around until the end of the episode, we dive into specifics on several nut and fruit trees. It's really worth the listen! We hope you enjoy the episode, and remember you can always get in touch with us via a direct message on our instagram page @forestgardenpodcast. 

Buzz's links:

• https://www.perfectcircle.farm/
• https://nutgrowing.org/

Hey there podcast listeners. Today we have a very interesting interview for you with Henry Lappen, a member of the Cherry Hill Cohousing community based in Amherst, Massachusetts. Henry has been a part of this unique community in western Massachusetts for the past thirty years - ever since its establishment in the early 1990's. For those who aren't familiar, the cohousing model is a Danish concept that originated in the 1960's. If you're trying to imagine what cohousing looks like, think of an intentional community of private or semi-private homes laid out in a clustered design around shared communal spaces. Shared meals and shared work are an integral part of the model, and often these communities have many gardens or agricultural spaces integrated in the landscape. In this episode, we’ll learn all about the cohousing model, how the vast food forest at Cherry Hill came to be, and what day to day life is like at Cherry Hill. We'll also get some insight into how folks interested in establishing their own ecovillage or cohousing community can get started. Stick with us, and remember that if you have a question about the episode you can always reach us via a direct message on our instagram page @forestgardenpodcast. 

Relevant Links:
https://web.cohousing.com/
http://cohousing.org/

Welcome back podcast listeners. In todays episode we are continuing our series on overcoming winter gloom, with some forest garden (or forest garden-adjacent) streamable content. Tune in to hear about some of our favorite youtube channels. Our hope is that you'll discover something new! Maybe a channel that inspires you to try something different this coming spring, or teaches you something you didn't know, or maybe just satisfies your innate need to binge. This episode has something for everyone. Think we missed a notable channel? Let us know with a message to our instagram page @forestgardenpodcast.  Channels covered today: Weird Explorer, Jared Rydelek Business Insider: So Expensive - Food Growing Your Greens, John Kohler Those Plant People, Pippa Chapman + Andrew Chapman Kirsten Dirksen Green Dreams, Pete Kanaris Edible Acres, Sean Dembrosky The Forest Gardener, (our very own) Ben Bishop Andrew Millison Happen Films Exploring Alternatives Regenerative Films