The Forest Garden

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

Medlar is the topic of today's podcast episode! We've talked about this unusual and delicious fruit on the podcast in snippets here and there, but today it gets the attention it deserves. Join us for an in-depth interview with Jane Steward, author of Medlars: Growing and Cooking, on the fascinating history of the medlar, cultivation and harvest tips, and best ways to process or cook this fantastic fruit. Jane's business website: https://www.eastgatelarder.co.uk/ Jane recommends purchasing Medlars: Growing and Cooking from bookshop.org or from your local independent bookstore. Jane can be found on instagram at @eastgatelarder In this episode Jane name drops Scott Farm in Vermont and Hortus Gardens in NY. If you're interested in watching the country life Medlar cheese ASMR video that Mike mentioned in the episode, it can be found here.

Join us for a deep dive into the Hazelnut, a tree crop that has not been discussed enough on this podcast! Today we primarily talk about European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) and hybrids (Corylus avellana x americana), and learn from Dr. Tom Molnar about the decades of germplasm collection, evaluation, and breeding research his lab has conducted at Rutgers University. In 2020, Rutgers released a handful of EFB resistant cultivars of european hazelnuts and a hybrid hazelnut called 'The Beast'. Tune in to learn all about them. We also discuss other hazelnut breeding programs in the U.S. involving both European and American hazelnuts, and how climate change may impact tree crop agriculture in the coming decades. Tom recommends contacting him via email if you are interested in growing hazelnuts released by Rutgers: Tom's Contact Page Tom also recommends checking out, and considering membership with, the Northern Nut Growers. To acquire hazelnut cultivars released by Rutgers, Tom recommends:Foggy Bottom Tree Farm Grimo Nut Nursery Z's Nutty Ridge Burnt Ridge Nursery Topics covered in our discussion on climate adaptation related to Hazelnuts was inspired by the climate change chapter of the book Growing Hybrid Hazelnuts by Phil Rutter Listeners may be interested in learning more about the Oregon State University Hazelnut Research Program. The Badgersett Research Farm is also mentioned in this episode.

It's 2024 and we're back! Marie Viljoen is our first guest on season four of the podcast. Join us as we discuss some of the underutilized edibles featured in Marie's book Forage, Harvest, Feast: A Wild-Inspired Cuisine. Marie Recommends: https://integrationacres.com/ to find spicebush listed as "Appalachian Allspice" Sam Thayer's Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants as a fantastic resource for foraging information. Marie's Links: Forage, Harvest, Feast + 66 Square Feet (Books) https://www.instagram.com/marie_viljoen/ 66 Square Feet (Blog) Relevant literature regarding urban foraging and pollutants, particulates, etc: Food safety considerations of urban agroforestry systems grown in contaminated environments Particulate Matter Accumulation on Apples and Plums: Roads Do Not Represent the Greatest Threat

It's pawpaw season! So today we have a very timely episode for you all, an interview with Neal Peterson of Peterson Pawpaws. Neal has spent decades working with Asimina triloba, collecting fruits from orchards across the Eastern United States and improving the largest tree ripened fruit of North America into the seven named cultivars that we know so well today. Allegheny, Potomac, Rappahannock, Susquehanna, Shenandoah, Tallahatchie, Wabash...you may have heard of these cultivars, but do you know how they came to be? In this episode we take a deep dive into Neal's breeding work and learn about the selection process that lead to these improved fruits release into the nursery industry. We also discuss the growing requirements for pawpaw, the culture that has evolved around this species over the past half century, food allergy/annonacin content concerns, and much more. This is an episode not to be miss missed, stick with us. Peterson Pawpaws: https://www.petersonpawpaws.com/ Places to buy pawpaws in the northeast: Cricket Hill Garden - https://www.treepeony.com/ Broken Arrow - https://www.brokenarrownursery.com/ Logees - https://www.logees.com/ Perfect Circle - https://www.perfectcircle.farm/ Upcoming festivals (shoutout to Encygropedia for this epic list!): Ohio Pawpaw Festival: https://ohiopawpawfest.com/ Frederick Maryland Festival: https://ecologiadesign.com/paw-paw-festival-longcreek-homestead/ Powhattan, Virginia Festival: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2023-05-24-17-33-29-969019-x6b Pawpaws at West Farm Nursery, Branchburg, NJ: https://nofanj.org/event/farm-tour-pawpaws-at-west-farm-nursery/ 1st Annual Pawpaw Festival, Louisville, KY: https://www.louisvillenaturecenter.org/upcoming-events/2023/7/27/first-annual-pawpaw-festival York County Pawpaw Festival, York, PA: https://hornfarmcenter.org/pawpawfest/ West Virginia Pawpaw Festival, Morgantown, WV: https://arboretum.wvu.edu/wv-pawpaw-festival Annonacin Content Research: Progressive supranuclear palsy and pawpaw - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7156197/ Annonacin and Squamocin Contents of Pawpaw - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32761515/ Annonacin in Asimina triloba fruit: implication for neurotoxicity - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22130466/

With the chestnut harvest season approaching, we have our annual chestnut themed episode today with a true living legend in the field of tree crops research, Dick Jaynes. On today's episode we discuss Dick's decades of research on hybrid chestnuts, specific cultivars that emerged from his breeding work, limitations to commercial chestnut growing, Nut Tree Culture in North America (the handbook he published with the Northern Nut Growers Association) and a variety of other related topics. If you are interested in reading some of Dick's published work, try searching google scholar or jstor for Richard A. Jaynes with keywords like chestnut or Castanea. Alternatively, you could try to hunt down a copy of Nut Tree Culture in North America. The book is out of print, but resellers are still circulating copies. Finally, if you join the Northern Nut Growers Association you can gain access to a massive pdf that is a digitized version of all of the NNGA annual reports, where Dick contributed for many years. Linked below are a few of his published articles that don't require a school or library login to view. Finally, check out Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, CT for all of your rare tree and plant needs! Links: Sample of published works: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Bulletins/B657pdf.pdf https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7aatGd2WqCAC&oi=fnd&pg=PP5&dq=richard+a+jaynes&ots=x7yuqO5Agc&sig=eMyyQKlOoO9__UN7AO6xZUSZBno#v=onepage&q=richard%20a%20jaynes&f=false Lockwood Farm & Sleeping Giant Plantation: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Biographies/Anagnostakis/LOCKWOOD-FARM-chestnuts.pdf https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Biographies/Anagnostakis/PLANTATION.pdf https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Biographies/Anagnostakis/Chestnut-Work-at-CAES.pdf Broken Arrow Nursery: https://www.brokenarrownursery.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brokenarrownursery/

Today's episode is all about the pomes! Tune in for our discussion with Matt Kaminsky, aka Gnarly Pippins, on the topic of wild/feral/seedling apples. Matt is a fruit explorer and orchardist who specializes in feral trees that kick it on the sides of highways, edges, and other forgotten places without any management from humans. Why are these trees important? Seedling apples and other pome fruits (like pears) that grow in these edge ecosystems are frequently much more resistant to the many pests and diseases that affect their cultivated cousins in commercial and organic orchards. The genetic diversity of these feral fruits is astounding. There is a movement of like minded fruit hunters who have started to champion these trees in recent years, and Matt is one of these folks. This episode cannot be missed! Check out the links below to learn more about the topics discussed in the episode. Acquire scion and grafted trees from: gnarlypippins.com Follow Matt on instagram: instagram.com/gnarlypippins Keep up with silvopasture work at: meadowfedlamb.com  instagram.com/meadowfedlamb Preservation Orchard + Carr's Cider House: https://www.carrsciderhouse.com/ https://www.instagram.com/carrsciderhouse/ Pomological Exhibition: stay updated on gnarlypippins.com Pomological Series: https://gnarlypippins.com/product/pre-order-pomological-series-wild-apple-exhibition-vol-2/ William Mullin: https://www.instagram.com/Pomme_William/ Franklin County Cider Days: https://ciderdays.org/ Cummins Nursery: https://www.cumminsnursery.com/ Fedco Trees: https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/ Feral Seedling Apples Discussed Today:  I-95, discovered by Jack Kertesz: https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/i-95-apple-147 Old Fertile, discovered by Gnarly Pippins: https://fedcoseeds.com/trees/old-fertile-cider-apple-219 Gnar Gnar of New Philadelphia, submitted to Pomological Exhibition by Teddy Weber of Tin Hat Cider: https://www.tinhatcider.com/ Darth Maul, submitted to Pomological Series by Sam Exhibition of Quivering Twig Horticulture: https://www.quiveringtwig.com/

In today's episode we consider ourselves very lucky to be interviewing Ken Asmus of Oikos Tree Crops. A mail order plant nursery specializing in seedling populations of a wide range of edible plants including trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and tuber crops. Join us as we learn about the many selections that Ken has made over the past forty years. If you are interested in rare or unusual fruit and nut bearing trees, the idea of maintaining biological diversity through seedling populations, or beneficial interactions between intentional and volunteer plantings in a food forest context- don't miss this episode. Ken's links: https://oikostreecrops.com/ https://www.instagram.com/oikostreecrops/

Welcome back podcast listeners, today we have Nellie Ward & Alex Alvanos of the Boston Food Forest Coalition on the podcast. Boston Food Forest Coalition is a non profit organization that works to transform vacant lots across Boston into community orchards and edible parks. Nellie is a steward at the Eggleston Community Orchard in Jamaica Plain, and Alex is both a steward of the same orchard and the associate director of the organization. BFFC has a community land trust that they use to preserve their food forests to ensure they remain public in perpetuity. The organization works in partnership with community residents to create equitable green space for all, while taking into consideration regenerative practices. Tune in to learn all about it. Links from today's discussion: https://www.bostonfoodforest.org/ https://csld.edu/ (Conway School) https://www.offshootsinc.com/ http://landofplentyboston.com/ https://communityfoodforests.com/handbook/ https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/49351 (Joan Nassauer) https://blackskyblacksky.bandcamp.com/album/demo (Nellie's band) https://www.alexandthepeople.com/ (Alex's band)

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

Happy New Year podcast listeners, and welcome to season three of the podcast! We have a winter themed episode today featuring many documentaries that we have curated into a list separated by topic. Some of you may remember our interview with Lisa Fernandes from last season. In that interview Lisa mentioned how The Resilience Hub of Portland, Maine hosted movie nights to start building community around regenerative programming. That interview gave us an idea, if we were to make a master list of documentaries and films related to the topics we cover on the podcast - what exactly would that look like? Today's episode is our best attempt! We hope you enjoy the episode, and if there are any that you think we missed and are deserving of being included feel free to reach out to us on instagram @forestgardenpodcast Docs Featured in the Episode: Soil/Regenerative Ag: Kiss the Ground, 2020 (Netflix) Regreening the Desert John D Liu, 2012 (Youtube/Vimeo) Symphony of the Soil, 2012 (Youtube) Living Soil, 2018 (Youtube) Farming: The Biggest Little Farm, 2018 (Rotational Streaming) Fruit/Food The Fruit Hunters, 2012 (Youtube/Rotational Streaming) The Botany of Desire, 2009 (Prime/Rotational Streaming) Bees: The Pollinators, 2019 (Prime) More than Honey, 2012 (Plex/Rotational Streaming) Vanishing of the Bees, 2009 (Plex/Rotational Streaming) Climate/Water: Tomorrow, 2015 (Rotational Streaming/Direct Purchase) Last Call at the Oasis, 2011 (Rotational Streaming) Tapped, 2009 (Youtube/Rotational Streaming) Chasing Ice, 2012 (Rotational Streaming) Permaculture: Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective, 2015 (Direct Purchase Vimeo) Woodlanders Series, 2017 (Vimeo) Permaculture The Documentary: How it Started, 2020 (Youtube) Regenerative Films (Youtube) Mushrooms: Fantastic Fungi, 2019 (Netflix/Rotational Streaming) The Last Season, 2014 (iTunes) How To Change Your Mind, 2022 (Netflix)

It's December and winter is nearly here! For many of us, it probably feels like it has already started. Some might wonder what a plant nerd does in the cold winter months, at least for us - we start planning. What new trees are going in the ground in the spring, where will they be planted, and more importantly where will we get them from? Today's episode is meant to help with that last question. Tune in for our discussion on some of our favorite mail order nurseries that ship plants and plant materials across North America. An important note for listeners - the nurseries we cover in today's episode all have one thing in common, they're not massive businesses with immense staff. Plants they carry frequently sell out and ordering from some of them may not be possible at the time that this episode is released! Patience is always a virtue when trying to source hard to find specialty trees, shrubs, or perennials. Different plants or plant materials are often available at different times of year. In our experience a friendly email goes a long way, and often there's a mailing list you can sign up for to be notified when new plants are available. Be kind and you will be rewarded! We hope you enjoy the episode, and as always you can get in touch with us most easily by sending a friendly DM to us on instagram @forestgardenpodcast Links of nurseries covered in today's episode: Humble Abode Nursery, Ashfield, MA USDA Zone 5a: https://www.humbleabodenursery.com/ Hidden Springs Nursery, Cookeville, TN USDA Zone 6: http://www.hiddenspringsnursery.com/ England's Nut Orchard, McKee, KY USDA Zone 6a: http://www.nuttrees.net/ Ozark Mountain Jewel, Gainesville, MO USDA Zone 6b: https://www.ozarkmountainjewel.com/ Norton Naturals, Tamworth, ON USDA Zone 5b: https://www.nortonnaturals.com/ Perfect Circle Farm, Barre, VT USDA Zone 4b: https://www.perfectcircle.farm Fruitwood Nursery, Humboldt County, CA USDA Zone 8: https://www.fruitwoodnursery.com/

Well folks the growing season is coming to an end, cold weather and family gatherings are quickly approaching. Or for many of us they're already here! Tune in today for some timely commentary on the dishes we make for our holiday family gatherings. If you're interested in medlars, pecans, chestnuts, or persimmons - and how they can make their way onto the dinner table of an upcoming communal meal, you will not be disappointed by today's episode. Enjoy!  Relevant links from today's episode: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/forage-harvest-feast/ Recipe links (maybe not precisely the recipe we used for the dishes we talk about in the episode, but perhaps a jumping off point for anyone interested in making them at home!): https://www.marthastewart.com/1140980/dates-and-blue-cheese https://www.simplyscratch.com/prosciutto-wrapped-gorgonzola-stuffed-dates-in-a-honey-balsamic-drizzle/ https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022853-hoshigaki-dried-persimmons https://cookieandkate.com/pecan-butter-recipe/ https://www.thehungrybites.com/mushroom-chestnut-creamy-risotto/ https://food52.com/recipes/1862-mushroom-chestnut-risotto

Hey there podcast listeners, Today we're running an episode from a podcast called Hot Farm. It's from our friends at the Food & Environment Reporting Network. The podcast is about what farmers are doing – or could be doing – to take on the climate emergency. In this episode, you'll hear about a grain called Kernza, which might one day be a staple in your pantry. It can sequester carbon, build soil health and use less water. So what does it take to move it from an experimental crop and into the food system? Listen in and find out! Relevant links: https://thefern.org/podcasts/hot-farm/ https://landinstitute.org/ https://kernza.org/ 

With chestnut harvest season in full swing in North America, we have a very timely episode for y'all today. Tune in for our discussion with Dr. Sandra Anagnostakis who for many years was a lead researcher in the department of plant pathology and ecology at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT. If someone has ever passed down a bit of folksy wisdom to you about how to treat chestnut blight, odds are that wisdom originated with Dr. Sandy's research. If you are someone who is interested in starting your own orchard filled with "breadtrees of the north", this episode can't be missed. Chestnuts are where it's at people! Listen in to find out why. Dr Sandy's Links: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/ABOUT-CAES/Staff-Biographies/Sandra-L-Anagnostakis https://nutgrowing.org/

Hey there podcast listeners, today we have a special treat for you - featuring voices other than our own! Tune in for a fantastic guest episode from the folks at Outside/In, a show from New Hampshire Public Radio. We chose to feature this guest episode because it poses a very important question for us (and probably for you too) "is the soil in my backyard safe to grow food in?". For those of us who garden in an urban context, this is a very important question! We also recommend checking out the other two episodes featured in the Yardwork series, we found each episode illuminating in very different ways. Find them at outsideinradio.org or wherever you get your podcasts. Episode Description from Outside/In: Every so often, when she's digging in her backyard garden, amateur gardener Maureen McMurray encounters something she didn't expect: a lump of coal. She's planted vegetables in the same soil for a few years now. But as she prepared for an upcoming growing season, she wondered: is her homegrown produce poisoning her family? The answer is nicer than you might think. Featuring Maureen McMurray, Nate Bernitz, and Ganga Hettiarachchi. Reported by Justine Paradis. Full episode details, credits, and transcript available here. Links: http://outsideinradio.org/ https://www.instagram.com/outsideinradio/

Fall is nearly upon us podcast listeners! Cooler temperatures and rainy days will soon bring a bounty to the forest floor. In other words, it's mushroom hunting season. Tune in today for our conversation with Dan Bensonoff, director of the Permaculture Initiative at UMASS Amherst. Dan has been collecting mushrooms for the majority of his life, having been blessed with a cultural background that is especially mycophilic. When I first met Dan, he expressed to me a frustration with american mushroom foraging texts. He told me that many of them listed the mushrooms that he grew up collecting, preparing, and cooking as either poisonous or inedible - and that these texts were missing out on an entire cultural history of flavor and experience. So that is what we are going to be talking about on todays episode! Tune in to learn about a wide variety of mushrooms including but not limited to the Lactarius, Russula, and Sullius genera. Dan not only has experience foraging for these mushrooms, he's also a bit of a wizard in the kitchen - so stay tuned for mushroom preparation and processing techniques, as well as unique recipes and storage methods. And be sure to check what Dan's up to with the permaculture initiative on instagram at @umasspermaculture. IMPORTANT NOTE! Never consume a wild mushroom unless you are 100% sure it is the correct edible species and not a look alike! Look alikes are plentiful among many species of mushroom, spore prints and foraging with folks who are more experienced is recommended for beginners.

It's September! This sweltering summer is coming to a close, and thank the heavens it's been raining a bit more in the past few weeks. (At least in our neck of the woods). With the coming drops in temperature and increased precipitation, we over here at The Forest Garden have our foraging baskets all set and ready for the weeks to come. But did you know you could experience a mushroom harvest in your own backyard? Join us for an in-depth episode delving into the world of outdoor mushroom cultivation with our lovely guests Phoebe & Joe Krawczyk of Field and Forest Products! Listen in to learn about Winecap cultivation in woodchip beds, shiitake cultivation on logs, and much much more! And if you don't follow them already on social media, check out Phoebe's incredible mushroom minute posts on the Field and Forest instagram page @fieldandforestproducts. You can also find us on instagram @forestgardenpodcast, which is the best place to reach out if you have any questions or comments about a topic we cover in a given episode. Field and Forest Products links: https://www.instagram.com/fieldandforestproducts/ https://www.fieldforest.net/ Other projects we discuss in the episode: http://www.woodlanders.com/

Welcome back podcast listeners! Tune in today to learn from one of our personal heroes Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot, Perennial Vegetables, The Carbon Farming Solution (and co-author of Edible Forest Gardens written by Dave Jacke). We cover quite a bit in todays episode, prepare yourself for in depth descriptions of agroforestry practices, the incredible nutritional value of some of Eric's favorite perennial vegetable crops, and much much more. Eric's links: https://www.patreon.com/erictoensmeier http://www.perennialsolutions.org/ https://drawdown.org/ Eric's Books: http://www.perennialsolutions.org/shop

Welcome back podcast listeners! Today we have a really good one for y'all, a deep dive into the in's and out's of how The Resilience Hub got started. If you have never heard of it, The Resilience Hub is 'a 501c3 organization dedicated to regenerating land, growing healthy food, and building strong, resilient communities.' But it didn't necessarily start out doing all those things! Tune in today to learn about its origins, from our guest Lisa Fernandes - founder of The Resilience Hub, and current Communication Director for the Food Solutions New England network based at the UNH Sustainability Institute in Durham, New Hampshire. Today's episode is a crash course in how to get the ball moving in your own neighborhood if you are interested in establishing a community network of people who want more food crops in public spaces, in neighborhood backyards and front yards, and more! Tune in and don't touch that dial! Or whatever the modern analog for a dial is these days. Don't press that skip button? You get the idea... Remember that if you want to get ahold of us you can find us on instagram at @forestgarden podcast. Organizations Lisa wants you to know about: https://resiliencehub.org/ https://artofhosting.org/ http://www.bollier.org/category/tags/commoning https://www.mainewabanakireach.org/ https://nibezun.org/ https://www.facebook.com/EWRematriation/ https://snefcc.carrd.co/ https://nefoclandtrust.org/  

Today we have an extra special episode! We're lucky to be hosting Aaron Parker of Edgewood Nursery, Propaganda by the Seed, and most importantly - the Mount Joy Community Orchard Project. Mt. Joy is a food forest/community orchard located on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine. I first discovered it completely by accident. I stumbled into this magical landscape covered in herbaceous pollinator plants mixed in with fruit trees, and asked an elderly gentleman who was there picking raspberries "for his sweetie" - what's the deal with this place? He told me that is was a free to pick public orchard where anyone could come by and harvest whatever they wanted, so long as they were respectful of the landscape. From that moment I was hooked. If you've ever wanted your local park to look more like a forest garden, and less like a mowed lawn, today's episode is one you can't miss. Listen in as we learn about how Mt. Joy got started, what its evolution has looked like over time, and the steps that you can take to start a similar project in your community. Don't touch that dial! And remember that you can always find us at @forestgardenpodcast on instagram. Aaron's Links: https://www.instagram.com/mount.joy.orchard/ https://mountjoyorchard.wixsite.com/mtjoy https://edgewood-nursery.com/ https://propagandabytheseed.libsyn.com/ Other Links for organizations or events mentioned in the episode: https://resiliencehub.org/ https://www.mofga.org/the-fair/

The title says it all! Tune in today to learn about perennial vegetables and woody plants that are very undervalued in the U.S. and the west as a whole. Mmmm they're tasty, stick with us to the end to figure out where to acquire these highly nutritious but often hard to source plants! And as always, if you want to get in touch - find us @forestgardenpodcast on IG.

The title says it all! Tune in today for commentary on the ethical questions surrounding permaculture, some of it's shortfallings, and problems you may encounter as a 'practicioner' designing with the permaculture toolkit. Today's episode sadly is a solo act, as Ben is busy moving again. We'll be back again soon enough with our long form podcast episodes. Be sure to check us out on our instagram @forestgardenpodcast

Coming to you live from the back of Palolo valley on the Island of O'ahu - we have quite and exciting episode for you today. Passiflora is a genus that Ben and I are obsessed with. Back home, the Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) vines I have spread throughout my forest garden are likely just starting to pop up in the landscape. Until I get back to them, I'm spending my time taste testing all of the tropical species of passionfruit I can get my hands on. Tune in to learn all about them! Be sure to check out our Instagram @forestgardenpodcast for photos of some of the species we cover in today's episode. Enjoy!

It's foraging season! Time to grab ye olde foraging basket, a friend, a field guide, and hit the trails! Fill up those baskets to the brim with native wild edibles and then come home to... wait, should we really be doing this? Today's episode delves into spring foraging with tips and tricks for beginners, some thoughts about population decline in ramps (Allium tricoccum), and some forage-able plants you may have never heard of! Stay tuned for a thought provoking episode, and be sure to check us out on our instagram account @forestgardenpodcast where we are the most active/the most easily communicated with if you are looking to reach out. Enjoy!

It's our first ever guest episode! We're pleased to host an episode from a podcast that is very similar to our own, Propaganda by the Seed. Tune in to learn about how Brassica breeder extraordinaire Chris Homanics developed the Homesteader's Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale Grex. Not sure what a grex is? Well stay tuned to find out! Today's episode is jam packed with information on the topic of breeding new kale varieties, and much more. Be sure to check out the rest of Propaganda by the Seed's podcast library, available on all major streaming platforms! Relevant links from today's episode: https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/products/kaleidescope-perennial-kale-grex https://edgewood-nursery.com/podcast https://propagandabytheseed.libsyn.com/ http://www.soleone.org/

Spring is springing and we're back again with another informative interview. Jesse Marksohn of Yellowbud Farm (and Fungal Forest Farm) joins us today to introduce us to a tree that has been wholly overlooked by modern society; the Yellowbud Hickory (Carya cordiformis). You may have heard of this tree referred to as bitternut, due to its highly tanic nut content, but did you know that these nuts can be pressed into a golden 'liquid pecan' cooking oil? Think olive oil, but better. Produced locally, potentially better for you, and likely much better tasting because if it's local it's fresh! Get ready to have your mind blown wide open by today's conversation where we also learn about Jesse's experience gallivanting across country visiting every abandoned, or actively stewarded, nut orchard from New England to Tennessee. When I (Mike) first met Jesse, it was at a chestnut roast in Western Massachusetts where he had brought a fold out table - and it was covered from end to end with every named variety of pecan, heartnut, chestnut, and hickory that you haven't heard of. I thought to myself, "This guy is like a walking, talking, genetic repository!" Join us with your ears and attention today, we promise you won't regret it. See Jesse's links below:  https://www.yellowbud.farm/ https://www.instagram.com/fungalforestfarm/

Spring is here podcast listeners! It's time to dust off ye olde gardening cap to prune those trees, get those bare root plants in the ground, and start planning that summer vegetable garden you've always dreamed of. In today's episode, prepare to delve into the world of perennial tree collards. Most people are familiar with collards that grow in your vegetable garden in the summer, but did you know there are perennial relatives that can grow to the size of small trees and live eight years or longer? Sequoiah from Project Tree Collard joins us today to tell us all about it. Whether you're a forest gardener in chilly Zone 6 or enjoy the year-round warmth of Zones 9+, Perennial Tree Collards are a highly adaptable family of plants that can provide you with a bounty of highly nutritious food. Listen in to today's episode to learn all about them. Follow Sequoiah via her links below:  https://www.projecttreecollard.org/ https://www.instagram.com/projecttreecollard/ https://www.facebook.com/ProjectTreeCollard/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSti61Hw1btrsuB_10Z71hQ

On today's episode of The Forest Garden, we have the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Depiano. Lisa has many years of experience teaching permaculture in the Northeast, where her practice is informed by a background in regional planning and ecological social justice. I was first introduced to Lisa's work through a documentary called Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective, where Lisa was promoting, and a part of, a group called "Pedal People", an organization based in the Northampton area in Massachusetts which would transport compost via bicycles from family residences to municipal compost centers. These days, Lisa runs the UMASS Carbon Farming Initiative at UMASS Amherst. Join us for an in depth discussion in silvopasture, hybrid chestnuts in agroforestry systems, perennial vegetables and their culinary uses, pathways to community food security, and much more.  Lisa's Links: https://lisamariedepiano.com/ https://commonsharefood.coop/ https://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/lisa-depiano

On today's episode, we have the pleasure to host Jonathan Bates who several years ago, with his friend Eric Toensmeier, designed and stewarded a food forest made up of over 300 species of edible and medicinal plants on a 1/10th acre lot in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Join us as we talk to Jonathan about his experience living at Paradise Lot, and learn about some of the new work that he has been up to in The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. If you are at all interested in low tannin acorns, or cold hardy figs for USDA Zone 5/6 homesteads, then this episode might be of specific interest to you. Be sure to check out Jonathan's links below, and follow us on our Instagram page @forestgardenpodcast. Jonathan's links: https://www.foodforestfarm.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/FoodForestFarm

Our interview with Dan Furman of Cricket Hill Garden, a specialty plant nursery based in Thomaston, Connecticut that specializes in uncommon edible tree crops and ornamental tree peonies. Way back in the Spring of 2021, I stopped by Dan's nursery on a random Wednesday to inquire about some mulberry scion. I was absolutely blown away by the diversity of his demonstration garden. At least in my experience, it's pretty rare to find multi grafted paw paws and espalier grown mulberry only 20 feet away from one another in a designed landscape. That was when I knew we had to have Dan on the podcast, and luckily we were able to make it happen! This episode was recorded in December of 2021, in it we reference Lee Reich's book "Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden" which is a fantastic resource that we highly recommend acquiring if you want to learn more about the plants we talk about in this episode. Find Dan at https://www.treepeony.com/, and don't forget to follow us on our Instagram @forestgardenpodcast! 

Well listeners it's winter here at The Forest Garden, and now that the days are getting longer we are looking forward to the warmer days ahead. Cozying up by the fireside with a cup of hot cider with our favorite podcast playing through the speakers has been keeping us going lately. Today we're giving you that very same opportunity via our interview with Dave Scandurra of Food Forest Initiative of Cape Cod & Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod. Tune in to learn about how Food Forest Initiative of Cape Cod got started, and maybe how you could start up a similar organization in your area. We also spend a great deal of time picking Dave's brain in today's episode, trying to wrap our heads around all the crazy perennial vegetables he cultivates in his front yard food forest in Barnstable, MA.  Dave is presenting at The Foodscaper Summit this week (Jan 20th & 21st, 2022)! So if you like what you hear in this episode, and want to learn more, be sure to check out his presentation. Find out more at https://www.thefoodscaper.com/summit. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram! @forestgardenpodcast Dave's links: https://www.ediblelandscapes.net/ e: contact@ediblelandscapes.net Instagram: @ediblelandscapes, @foodforestinitiativecapecod

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! We are super stoked to be here, and we hope you are too. On today's episode of The Forest Garden, we are lucky enough to talk to Matt Lebon. Matt is the owner of Custom Foodscaping based out of St. Louis, Missouri, and director of The Foodscaper, a community network of edible landscaping organizations united under a common goal of establishing edible landscapes for families and communities. Be sure to check out the inaugural Foodscaper Summit, on January 20-21, 2022. Only two weeks away from the release of this episode. (See links below). Stay tuned to learn about some of Matt's favorite edible landscaping shrubs, his design process, and a few of the projects his organization has worked on recently.  Remember that we here at The Forest Garden want to hear from you! To be featured in an upcoming episode, send us prerecorded comment or question as an audio file to our email theforestgardenpodcast@gmail.com. If you want to connect with us on social, our handle on instagram is @forestgardenpodcast. Matt's social: @customfoodscaping and @thefoodscaperhq Links: https://www.thefoodscaper.com/summit https://www.customfoodscaping.com/ https://www.thefoodscaper.com/

Happy Winter Solstice! On today's episode, we cover the various seed companies and organizations that we care about most. Or maybe just the ones that stood out to us in the moment, if we wanted to talk about all of our favorite places to source plant material - we would be making an episode that might be four hours long...  Some of the organizations mentioned in the episode! http://sacredsucculents.com/ https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ https://www.treeshrubseeds.com/ https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/ https://harc.missouri.edu/about/ https://www.rareseeds.com/ https://www.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/ https://oikostreecrops.com/ https://www.kitazawaseed.com/ https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/ https://territorialseed.com/ https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/ https://www.superseeds.com/ https://www.amkhaseed.com/ https://www.seedsavers.org/ https://www.southernexposure.com/ https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/ https://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/

It goes without saying that 2021 has been a year of climate extremes. Record rainfall and extended periods of drought really have been throwing our gardens through a loop. We can't help but ask ourselves, what strategies should we be taking to plan for our uncertain future? In other words, how can we take a more active role in mitigating climate change? What are the plants that might actually benefit from a shift in climate in our region? Should we be looking to the hardiest and most resilient of plant species to populate our landscapes with, or experimenting with plant species that historically haven't been able to survive our winters - and now may be able to? In this episode we delve into these questions and much more. The time is now to plant trees, sequester carbon, and attempt to slow our roll on this slippery slope that is the looming climate catastrophe. If you have any questions or comments to the topics we highlight in this episode, feel free to shoot us an email at theforestgardenpodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us via our Instagram page @forestgardenpodcast. If you would like to have your question featured in an upcoming episode, send it to our email as a prerecorded audio file! 

Prepare to be transported to the Big Island of Hawaiʻi! Adam Crowe of ʻĀina Exotics, based in Pāpaʻaloa, Hawaiʻi, joins us today to discuss the trials and tribulations of establishing a tropical forest garden system on the slopes of the shield volcano that is Hawaiʻi Island. Tune in for an exciting episode where we discuss swales in tropical systems, pests local to Hawaiʻi, and some of our favorite tropical fruit tree crops. Be sure to rate and subscribe, and follow us on instagram! @forestgardenpodcast. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy!

On this episode we cover all things sexual & asexual plant propagation. Are you interested in grafting techniques, air layering, or taking cuttings of woody perennial plants? Do you have a four year old hosta or rhubarb plant that is crowding out surrounding plantings? Consider dividing up the plant during the appropriate season this year, on this episode we'll walk you through all of these processes. Find us on Instagram @forestgardenpodcast! And if you want to contact us, reach out to theforestgardenpodcast@gmail.com

And you may tell yourself, invasive plants are the boogeyman. We tend to think they're mostly misunderstood. Today's episode is a mish-mash of us each playing devil's advocate, and sharing some of our personal experiences with plants that should potentially be avoided in Food Forest Systems. Not all invasives are evil, but some of them sure can be nasty. Join us as we thread the needle through this topic, and be sure to follow our exploits on our Instagram page @forestgardenpodcast

Hark! The crisp air has cometh! Our water hath not turned into wine but into Pumpkin Spice! It's Fall y'all, and it's in full swing. Here in New England, the trees are putting on quite the display. Pumpkins are being picked, winter squash are ready for harvest, and the ground beneath the trees is covered in nuts and soon to be rotting fruit. The harvest is upon us! In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics related to harvesting this time of year. As the title alludes to, we will also be discussing Elliot Coleman's 'four season harvest' method. A hoop-house design that incorporates a double cover system for season extension that allows you to keep picking your leafy greens all winter long. If you want to learn about how and when to harvest Paw Paws, Persimmons, Sunchokes, and much more... stick with us for an episode jam packed with useful information. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @forestgardenpodcast. 

Who says you can't have a Four-Season Garden? It might be October, but there are still lots of things to do in the backyard Food Forest. Join us as we contemplate different strategies for best practice in stewardship of your landscape during the Fall. And don't forget to follow our Instagram page @forestgardenpodcast! If you have any questions or concerns, shoot us an email at theforestgardenpodcast@gmail.com, and, if you would like to appear on the show - pose your question or comment to us as a pre-recorded audio file! We would love to feature you on an upcoming episode.

Well podcast listeners, today marks the first day of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Soon enough, the leaves will drop in our cold climate landscapes. Fall is a team to spruce up your garden, build soil, and upgrade your composting game! The four season compost is possible, and can be bountiful. In this episode we describe some ways you can make it happen in your landscape. Shoot us an email if you have any questions or concerns to theforestgardenpodcast@gmail.com. And if you would like to appear on an episode, prerecord your question as an audio file and send it our way! Be sure to check out our Instagram page @forestgardenpodcast

On this episode of The Forest Garden, we discuss the importance of Nut Trees in food forests, edible landscapes, and natural systems. With Fall fast approaching, the time of year to reap the rewards of nut producing tree crops is upon us. Nuts are usually the last stop on the journey for permaculture enthusiasts, often being second or third to fruiting shrubs and trees. We think they are drastically underappreciated as key components of the over-story in forest garden systems. Stay tuned for an episode jam packed with info, and be sure to follow our Instagram @forestgardenpodcast. 

On this episode of The Forest Garden, we dive into a highly underappreciated resource in all food forest systems... Shade! Do you have shaded areas of your property where grass won't grow? Is there a section of your lawn that is more dirt and roots than greenery? Why not turn it into a space for production? From Hostas to Black Currants, this episode covers all things edible perennial and shade tolerant. Stay tuned, and don't forget to rate and subscribe! Find us on Instagram @forestgardenpodcast.