The principles of having food gatherers and not traditional gardeners for the upkeep and maintenance of large-scale crops with expansive yields may seem counter-intuitive. It is not. The food gardens or food forests are not your grandmother’s garden or farm.
Understanding Food Forests and Food Gardens
Food forests and food gardens grow food using natural systems based on the principles of what is now known as Permaculture. These systems copy how nature works in forests.
They use many layers of plants. These include trees, bushes, vines, ground plants, and root crops. These layers grow together. They support each other.
They do not need much work from people once they are healthy. These systems do not use machines or strong tools. The food gardens do not need plowing or weeding in the same way as regular farms. The natural ecological systems do not use harmful chemicals.
They rely on nature and natural processes to keep balance.
Why Traditional Farming Does Not Work in Food Gardens
Traditional farming often clears land. Traditional farming uses plows to turn soil. Fields are used to grow only one or two crops at a time. Common farming techniques use pesticides and other chemicals.
These actions can hurt the natural balance of a food forest. Plowing will break up and eventually kill the soil. The pesticides cannot tell good from bad. Their use will kill insects and small animals that help the plants, not just the bad bugs. Constantly introducing new root systems takes away nutrients instead of returning them.
These traditional farming methods make the food forest weaker. These practices can lead to loss of plants and lower food harvests. Because of this, food forests need special care. They need people who understand the natural systems in place in the food gardens.
Training the Food Gatherers
Food gatherers are the people who care for the food forests. They do not plant rows or till the soil. Instead, they learn how to watch the land. The gatherers see which plants are ready for harvest. The guardians see which parts of the forest need help. They learn when to trim, when to plant, and when to leave things alone.
As guardians they also learn how to protect the balance in the system. Their training teaches the rules of permaculture. Permaculture teaches people how to live and grow food in ways that help the land stay healthy. It teaches how each plant and animal in the forest plays a role. Food gatherers become both harvesters and caretakers.
The Food Gatherers as Guardians of the Food Forests
Food gatherers do more than collect food. The food gatherers protect the land. Their job is in part to make sure no one takes too much. They stop people from damaging the plants. Their work helps the system last for many years.
Their work keeps the food forest alive for the whole community. Elders in the community may also help teach others. They share their knowledge. There will be a constant need to train new food gatherers. As reforestation programs are expanded, more food forests can be introduced.
This builds respect. It builds pride. It gives them a purpose.
Gathering, Transport, and Use of Harvested Foods
After the food gatherers collect the harvest, they bring it to collection centers. At the centers, workers sort the food.
Some food is for local families. Most of the harvest is for trade or sale in the local market. Some is saved for later. This system makes sure food does not go to waste.
It also gives local people a steady food supply. Families who take part in the food forest program eat fresh, healthy food. They do not need food aid from outside groups. This makes them more independent. It makes the community stronger. It increases local resilience and lessens the ability of external forces to disrupt community programs.
No Dependence on Government Assistance
These food gardens, under the watchful eyes of the gatherers and guardians also reduces the need for government-run aid. People grow, gather, and share their own food.
They do not wait for help. They take care of themselves. The food forest system does not need money from taxes. It runs from the work of the people and the land. The operations are funded by the income generated in Local People’s Organizations and in Rural Development Centers. The program collectively provides better food, better health, and paid employment for the formerly indigent. The system builds dignity.
It helps the formerly vulnerable populations to grow strong in mind, body, and spirit. It supports freedom and local pride.
Food gatherers hold an important role in food forests and food gardens. They do not use regular farm tools. They do not act as traditional farmers.
Instead, they watch and learn from the land. The food gatherers collect food in careful ways. The guardians of the gardens protect the balance of nature. They carry food to centers where others help share it with the community.
The work of the gatherers and guardians helps people eat better. It helps people become stronger. It helps the whole system grow without needing outside help. The food forests, in conjunction with the opportunities it creates, allow for a direct and fruitful path forward for the attainment of systemically sustainable human growth and development.