Food Forests
Forest in the Village
In Forest in the Village, we create amazing food forests! For you and together with you. We typically get two kinds of requests: setting up a new food forest according to Permaculture principles, or trouble shooting in a garden that doesn't work.
So why would someone want to plan a food forest, food garden or an ecological garden? Well, think about food security, health, vitality and fighting climate change.
In our versatile ecosystems of edible plants, we mimic the patterns of a natural forest. That explains our great results!
So, what exactly is a food forest?
A food forest is a 3-dimensional system that is built in layers of perennial trees, bushes, plants and ground covers. After we plant the forest, a strong and durable system starts to form. Then, after a period of maturing, it will allow for less maintenance work and it generates an abundant availability of fruits, vegetables and flowers. All year round!
And what is Permaculture? Permaculture is an ecological and sustainable planning method for growing food: permanent agriculture. While conventional agriculture and also our current culture are not permanent in the long run. In short: they are not sustainable. A Permaculture forest or garden will provide you with food security.
Planning food forests, food gardens and ecological gardens
In times of crises, like Corona, war or advanced climate change, it becomes more clear than ever how essential food security is and how beneficial it is to connect again with nature. Building a food forest (or a Permaculture garden) is a powerful way of creating food security for yourself and your community.
The team of Ya'r B'kfar (Forest in the Village) specializes in planning and consultancy of food forests, food gardens and ecological gardens, in the Permaculture method. Many locations around the Mediterranean Sea are suitable for creating sub-tropical food forests. Imagine being surrounded by all the exotic fruits, nuts, vegetables and flowers that you know from your travels abroad.
See how nature comes to life in your own garden. We are there to help your dreams happen: beauty, health and personal benefits.
Climate change affects all of us and many feel they want to help fighting this crisis, for ourselves and for future generations. Creating food forests and food gardens is a step forward that each one can take in our areas. Through growing plants and food ecologically, we contribute to the fight against the effects of global warming. Yes ecologically, because we see many mistakes happening in conventional agriculture, like soil exposed to sunlight, mono cultures, use of fertilizers and sprays. By harming our soil and groundwater, we eventually harm the animals and ourselves.
Food forests, urban gardens, balconies and rooftops
One of the ways of improving the situation, is through planting ecological food forests and gardens in as many areas as possible and growing vegetation of great variety. Even balconies and rooftops contribute.
We are here to give you a beautiful, abundant and ecological alternative for your area. Together we will plan and design a unique food forest or food garden around your personal needs and dreams, in perfect harmony with the land and nature.
Villa Almanita, Sitges, Spain
Conventional methods for for gardening and agriculture practice 'tilling', they use chemicals and apply synthetic fertilization. This way we get large, forced monoculture yields, but over time these methods kill the soil's fertility. At some point the soil is no longer suitable for cultivation. It is degraded. And people are forced to move on: we see a constant process of sacrificing new pieces of nature.
So what is so bad in conventional agriculture?
For healthy plants and healthy gardens we need healthy soil. We need a combination of supportive plants. micro biology and organisms. As long as we cultivate healthy soil, everything that is planted will be healthy, strong and resistant to diseases and pests. Like in nature, a few years after planting a biological balance will be established. From that point on will not have to interfere too much. Except from picking fruits and vegetables.
How much time does it take?
Designing your food forest, creating your personal and lovable design takes about a few weeks. It is a fun & inspiring process that you will be involved in and it includes producing the technical drawings for the workers who will build the forest.
Depending on the seize of the forest, it will take a few days or weeks to complete building the forest on site. Besides planting, one can think about creating an access road, earthworks like swales, ponds, paths en irrigation systems.
After planting, it will take a few years for the food forest, or food garden, to mature into a sustainable system where vegetation and micro soil life are perfectly balanced.
A food forest can be a compact garden of 100 m2 up to a very large forest of 10 or 20 dunam. And it can be created in an urban city garden or in an agricultural setting. We have the choice to work with just local trees species and vegetation, but there is also a wide variety of exotic sub-tropical trees and vegetation.
All these aspects have of course an influence on the required budget. But in short you can say that a complete planting plan (trees, bushes, ground covers) will be somewhere between $700/dunam to $5000/dunam.
How much does it cost?
Leora Berger
Leora is a licensed Permaculture Design Consultant and she is the founder of Forest in the Village. She is co-owner of a large international event company and has her roots in Permaculture since 1996. She is a powerhouse as it comes to plants, guilds and production of (garden-) projects. Leora is known for her demonstration food forest in Kfar Sirkin, Israel. She has been an inspiration for many. She offers courses in various Permaculture subjects like planning & design, medical herbs, composting, grafting and more.
Petrus Ausems
Petrus is a licensed Permaculture Design Consultant and is a graduate of Australian master teacher Geoff Lawton. He is also a senior Dutch architect/engineer, specialized in high-end residential architecture, interior design and landscaping. He has lives in Tel Aviv for more than 18 years and has a passion for garden architecture, earthworks, swales, Hügelkultur and water systems that help create abundance and diversity.