Farming the Woods : An Integrated Permaculture Approach to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests by Ken Mudge

The first in-depth guide for farmers and gardeners who have access to an established woodland and are looking for productive, innovative ways to create a natural forest ecosystems that produces a wide range of food, medicinals, and other non-timber products. "What a joy to read! Nice pictures, great case studies, and well organized. . . . Farming the Woods is?the?source for temperate climate agroforestry."-Jonathan Bates, Owner of?Food Forest Farm?While this concept of "forest farming" may seem like an obscure practice, history indicates that much of humanity lived and sustained itself from tree-based systems in the past; only recently have people traded the forest for the field.? The good news is that this is not an either-or scenario; forest farms can be most productive in places where the plow is not: on steep slopes, and in shallow soils. It is an invaluable practice to integrate into any farm or homestead, especially as the need for unique value-added products and supplemental income becomes more and more important for farmers. Farming the Woods?covers in detail:How to cultivate, harvest, and market high-value non-timber forest cropsComprehensive information on historical perspectives of forest farmingHow to mimic the forest in a changing climateCultivation of medicinal cropsHow to create a forest nurseryHarvesting and utilizing wood productsThe role of animals in the forest farmHow to design and manage your forest farm once it's set upForest crops covered include:American ginsengShiitake mushroomsRamps (wild leeks)Maple syrupFruit and nut treesOrnamental fernsAnd many more!This book is a must-read for farmers and gardeners interested in incorporating aspects of agroforestry, permaculture, forest gardening, and sustainable woodlot management into the concept of a whole-farm organism.?
Binding: Paperback / softback