What is a food forest?
In a nutshell, a food forest is:
• a dynamic, ecosystem approach to growing food, medicine and other yields;
• a perennial food production system that is inspired by beauty, creativity and abundance of a natural forest;
• a self-maintaining, low-input way for people to meet their food needs, while supporting the health of their local community and environment;
• an inspiring and innovative concept in the permaculture tool chest.
Clear Sky envisions the food forest will yield diverse harvests and provide high-quality food and products, while supporting the environment and local community through wholesome revenue generation.
Quadruple bottom line
Clear Sky refers to itself as a “quadruple bottom line” organization, giving equal consideration to financial, environmental, social and spiritual imperatives. “Awareness, compassion and sustainably generous mind-states are key to any holistic and/or sustainable approach,“ explains Catherine Pawasarat, Visionary Officer, Clear Sky.
Clear Sky’s social enterprise goals are to:
• inspire its membership to create new socially responsible businesses that can be models of meditation in action;
• provide entrepreneurial and employment opportunities to help people celebrate abundance by enhancing their personal financial independence;
• create new income streams for the organization through successful triple bottom line businesses that are informally allied to and financially supportive of Clear Sky.
Completion scheduled for autumn 2013
Planting of the one-acre demonstration site began in April and completion is scheduled for autumn. In early September, the Lieutenant Governor of BC, Her Honour Judith Guichon (a rancher and former Chair of the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC who practices Holistic Management in the Nicola Valley) will visit Clear Sky to view the grasslands and food forest demonstration sites.
Vertical stacking of multiple layers of plants
Through the vertical stacking of multiple layers of useful plants, increased and more diverse food per square foot can be harvested, but in a thoroughly sustainable manner. The wide variety of mostly perennial plant species in a food forest provides greater overall stability and resilience to pests, diseases and climate than a mono crop system.
Because soil is undisturbed by tillage and improved year after year through the leaf and root drop of plants in the system, the soil food web is also healthier, resulting in higher quality, more nourishing food.
Each food forest is unique
Every food forest is unique, and the yield of each food forest depends on its design and plant selections, which are ultimately based on the needs and wants of the individuals, families or groups that will be developing, caring for and harvesting from the food forest.
Yields could include all sorts of hardy varieties of fresh fruit, nuts, herbs, vegetables, medicinals, which can also be turned into value-added products, including herbal tinctures and teas, fruit wines and preserves.
Engaging a diverse community including youth and replicating the model elsewhere
“At Clear Sky, we are excited to put food forest agriculture into action on the ground,” says Cara Conroy-Low, Farm Manager at Clear Sky Centre. Clear Sky’s aim is to directly engage a diverse range of community members, growers, and youth to participate and learn more about sustainable agriculture in the East Kootenays. This is achieved partly through the Karma Yoga Program, which offers training in meditation, life skills, sustainable agriculture and team learning.
Richard Walker, pioneer in food forest agriculture
Clear Sky Centre came across the concept of food forests and permaculture in 2008 as an alternative to mainstream agriculture systems. A synchronistic turn of events led them to Richard Walker, one of Canada’s pioneers of food forest agriculture. Thanks to collaboration between Richard and landscape architect Leslie Lowe, the organization has developed a professional and holistic framework that in the future could be replicated in other regions. Richard has taught two-day intensive food forest workshops at Clear Sky Centre every year and the next workshop will be held October 5, 2013.
An invitation to social enterprise organizations
Clear Sky is available for group bookings. Social enterprise organizations are invited to consider booking the facility for workshops, retreats or small conferences. All meals use local and organic produce from the Clear Sky social enterprise farm and/or neighbouring ranchers wherever possible.
The fledgling food forest increases the capacity to provide delicious meals as well as offer a diverse range of value-added products, including sea buckthorn sorbet.
Food forest project funding
The Food Forest project is made possible by a grant from the Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative of British Columbia (AIDI). Funding for the AIDI has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). In British Columbia, this program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. The Province of British Columbia provides in-kind support to the AIDI. The AIDI is administered by the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations with the guidance of the Agroforestry Management Committee.
About Clear Sky
Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre is nestled in the western Rocky Mountains. The charitably-registered organization has been running eclectic holistic living programs and building a social enterprise farm since 2005. Clear Sky received significant start-up funding from its members (who continue to be key sustaining supporters), as well as grants from Enterprising Nonprofits, Columbia Basin Trust and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
Michelle Heinz is Director of Operations at Clear Sky. The next Food Forest workshop will be held at Clear Sky on October 5, 2013. Michelle can be contacted at michelle@clearskycenter.org or 250-429-3929