Through a Maine Local Foods Grant funded by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Maine Sunday Telegram, The Alan Day Community Garden (ADCG) and the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy (CEBE) are creating a Community Food Forest at the garden. For over 5 years the ADCG has been empowering local community members to grow a portion of their own food and learn important gardening skills. Although the main objective of the ADCG continues to be engaging community members in growing their own food, many people either don’t have the physical capabilities or can’t make the ongoing time commitment to benefit from renting a bed in the community garden for annual vegetable production. We hope to engage many of these people in helping to create and maintain a Food Forest and reap long-term benefits.
Also known as edible forest gardens, or perennial polycultures, food forests contain a diverse mix of perennial plants, from fungi and herbaceous ground covers, to perennial vegetables, fruit and nut bearing vines, shrubs, and trees. By emulating natural ecosystems, forest gardening creates guilds of plants that ideally work in symbiosis with each other to maximize the productivity of the edible landscape, while reducing the need for annual labor and material inputs. While the focus is on edible and medicinal plants, many species will be chosen for their ability to fix nitrogen, build soil, provide beneficial habitat, or confuse pests.
Forest Gardening in our northern temperate zone is a burgeoning field with many recent books and workshops being held throughout the region, especially in permaculture circles. We are looking for a dedicated group of volunteers to see this project through its initial establishment over the next year and beyond as the system matures through various phases. If you have knowledge of perennial plants, have experience with fruit and nut trees or simply want to learn about this way of growing food, please contact us.