Food forests are becoming more and more popular, but many farmers and neighbours still do not understand it and see a lot of weeds, a mess or feel that something is about to happen to their view. This is a very big question, but we will pick out a few elements:

How do you deal with (the poison of) the neighbours?

regular agriculture

If your food forest lies between fields and meadows that are sprayed, at least make sure that there is a dense hedge that you do not harvest from and/or other forms of buffer zones, especially in the dominant wind direction. This also helps with the next point.

If your neighbours (might) complain about weeds, a good hedge will also help to avoid the notion of 'blowing over'.

Stay in contact with your neighbours as much as possible from the start, but don't overdo it. Invite them, tell them what you are planning, show them nice pictures of the possible end result, but if they do not understand any of this (yet), leave it alone and wait for a moment of extreme weather or beautiful blossoms or a rich autumn harvest to pick up the communication again. Because that is when you see the power of a food forest.

Want to go more in depth with your food forest knowledge?

Check out our course offerings.

annual training 2024

Modular Year Training 2: May-December 2024

Start: Fri May 17, 2024

End: Fri Dec 13, 2024

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annual training 2024

Modular Year Training 1: March-October 2024

Start: Wed Mar 20, 2024

End: Wed Oct 16, 2024

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Course Propagation 2024

Start: Fri Mar 01, 2024

End: Fri Oct 18, 2024

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group in a food forest

Modular annual training May-December 2023

Start: do May 11, 2023

End: Fri Dec 15, 2023

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Soil and (plant) health

Start: Wed May 01, 2024

End: Wed Oct 09, 2024

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