The transformation that forest gardening will make to our lives, if the Forested vision comes true, is radical. Radical means "related to, or proceeding from, a root." In that sense, any change that stems from a "grassroots movement" is, by definition, radical. There are a number of these upstarts in my local area which I will be posting about in the future. The most relevant to the matter at hand is one I will be assisting this coming weekend - Chesapeake's Bounty.
I had long taken this farmstand to be not much more than a mini-farm with a good location. Later I learned that they bring in wholesome food from all over the local area. They also give classes on topics that match my interests, e.g. mushroom cultivation, and other permaculture subjects. More recently, I discovered that they are planning on planting food forests across much of their 40 acres.
This is just the beginning, but it is mind-boggling to imagine being able to wander through acre after acre of planted perennial patches ranging from ground-level shrubs to canopy trees, each serving some beneficial function. Twenty-four acres of food forest is probably a record, and might be a spark to emulation, both locally and throughout the eastern states.
