The Guardian: Using food forests to prevent floods and hunger

Permaculture in Malawi: using food forests to prevent floods and hunger

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"Permaculture projects in Malawi are developing sustainable food systems. It is time the development sector took this ‘marginal hippy movement’ seriously."

"Forests regulate water flow and protect topsoil. Restore the forests and you will go a long way to preventing flooding. Design the forests along holistic permaculture principles and you will achieve much more: water harvesting, fuel wood, high-quality timber, indigenous forest restoration and highly diverse food production. In a country where almost half the children under five are malnourished and chronic hunger is common, any holistic solution must consider food sovereignty."  

Phil Dudman spoke on Pruning and Propagating Fruit Trees at The Fernmount Food Forest

Phil Dudman presented on a large screen TV

Twenty Bellingen Seedsavers had an excellent guest speaker experience when Phil Dudman (writer and presenter from the Organic Garden and ABC Garden Show) visited the Fernmount Food Forest to speak on Fruit Tree Pruning, propagating fruit trees, and much more.

Very early Summer in the Fernmount Food Forest

A wander in the Fernmount Food Forest at present is refreshing. We have had some good falls of rain and the weather is regularly between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Cranberry Hibiscus

 The Cranberry Hibiscus is putting out new growth. In very wet weather a pruning cut will quickly turn rotten. Some complain that this plant seeds wildly, but not here. Only a few seedlings pop up close by and they are welcome. The raw leaves add a lemon taste to salads. This plant can grow to three metres tall in our food forest.