Using regernative practices to bring health to our bodies, communites and the land.
Forest Gardens is located on the ancestral and unceded traditional territory of the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples. Forest Gardens is committed to supporting reconciliation and decolonization through our work with the land and community.
The age of fossil fuel powered industrial civilization is rapidly coming to an end. What comes next is up to us. To support the continuation of life during this great transition, we believe that building self-sufficient and resilient communities that are founded on ecologically regenerative agriculture is the most important thing we can do right now.
These four practices help guide our thoughts and actions as we grow the farm
Permaculture Design
Permaculture Design is an ethical and practical framework for integrating humanity into the biosphere, in ways that meet our needs for health and happiness through regenerating the health of surrounding ecosystems. Based on observation and emulation of natural patterns and ecological systems, Permaculture Design integrates the physical, temporal and social elements of life into a synergistic relationship between humans and their surrounding ecosystem.
Regenerative Agriculture
This approach to growing means we don't simply focus on doing no harm, we aspire one step further to leave behind good. This means committing to long-term improvements in soil health, the water cycle, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and habitat for pollinators, animals, and native species. When we commit to being in right relation with the land over many years, we have the benefit of trading short term gains for long-term healing which results in much richer and more sustainable abundance for all.
Soil Health
Soil is the foundation of life on earth, and we utilize several practices to build and care for the soil. The more we focus on holistic farm practices, the more our focus shifts from growing great food, to growing great soil. When the life in the soil is diverse and healthy, the plants are more resilient to pests and disease, more nutritious, and more productive. Being on land that was previously logged and replanted with young forest means that soil building has been a central focus for our initial years. Some of our central soil-building practices include thermophilic and static compost piles, compost teas, biochar and vermicompost.
Food Forestry
Perennial crops are the central focus that we design our food systems around. Integrating fast-lived annual vegetables with long-lived perennials mimics the natural diversity present in wild ecosystems. Food forests are one of the oldest growing methods in this region with Indigenous cultures integrating their food sources into the natural landscapes of the forests. By reconnecting with these ways of growing we honour the stewardship passed down through the ages that have allowed this land to thrive and lays out a path to reclaiming the health and vitality lost through other practices.