There’s something happening. A revival of sorts. A harkening back to old ways. Skills that have been on the verge of extinction are roaring back to life.
It’s not just gardening and backyard chickens, it’s more than that. It’s a mindset shift. People are realizing a few things.
First, we have become dependent on big corporations and supply chains for nearly 100% of our food, which is not sustainable for the environment nor good for the local economy. Growing your food or buying locally grown food offers better, cleaner alternatives and reduces carbon emissions in transport.
Second, there’s something about putting your hands in the soil that offers a sense of connection to the earth, which is good for our minds, bodies, and souls. Science shows the mental health benefits of getting your hands dirty; gardening fights depression, anxiety, and helps adults and children who suffer with ADHD. People who spend more time outside are happier and less stressed.
There’s a movement of people transforming their yards into edible landscapes, sometimes called food forests. At best, it’s the concept of re-wilding a part of your yard to create a forest garden or at a minimum, swapping out ornamental landscaping for edible and medicinal plants. This conscientious choice of plants that benefit people and pollinators is not only better for us, it’s better for the planet.
Parents are also realizing that this growing model offers educational opportunities for children. They can learn science, botany, and empathy by learning to care for plants and understanding their life cycles. This activity gets children outside and away from electronics.
Anyone shopping in the grocery store feels the pain of price increases. In the last five years, grocery costs are up 30%. What does the next five years hold? Could inflation go higher? Food forest offers a simple idea. What if all the trees and shrubs in our yards were producing fruit, veggies, and leaf crops? How much money could be saved? If grocery prices continue this upward trend, how valuable will this be in a few years? Could we be less affected by inflation? And, at the same time, have peace of mind that our produce hasn’t been tainted with chemicals.
COVID lockdowns were a wake up call to the need for local food, and many Floridians answered by planting fruit trees. The largest fruit tree wholesaler in Palm Beach County, Zill’s High Performance Plants, has seen their production numbers triple in the last five years. That’s a serious increase in demand.
Tens of thousands of Floridians are trading out their traditional yards for food forests. New plant nurseries are cropping up all over Florida. People are hungry for a new way of thinking about feeding their families, building local resilience, and protecting the planet.
Food forest is the most earth-friendly way of growing food. No other method sequesters more carbon, prevents erosion, or retains more water.
Food forest is also low maintenance. Because the system uses long-lived perennials, it requires less input than systems like raised beds that primarily utilize annual plants, which must be replanted seasonally. Lazy gardeners unite! Food forest for the win!
