Food Forest Design - Learning from The Pros

There are many ways to look for education and training when it comes to techniques and concepts in planning, planting and evolving food forests. I've come to deeply appreciate the lessons presented by the wild beings who live their lives fully in the landscape. Watching closely, trying to notice new things happening, new seedlings, new disturbances, adjustments, etc... A landscape can be 'farmed' or gardened by many different creatures. From the fungi below to the mammals above, we're all agents in the landscape and can work with each other to deepen resiliency, health, productivity and quality of life for all the other friends working with us.
Today I show some examples of what to me are clearly some ingenious decisions our squirrel friends are making. How can I take those leads and queues and add my own layers around it? So much to learn and observe!

Edible Acres is a full service permaculture nursery located in the Finger Lakes area of NY state. We grow all layers of perennial food forest systems and provide super hardy, edible, useful, medicinal, easy to propagate, perennial plants for sale locally or for shipping around the country…
Happy growing!

[lunzie]

As a permie, I love your attitude toward the other beings sharing our planet. Also, I have had several volunteer trees pop up (hickory among them) that I have no idea how far they were transported by squirrels to get to my yard.

[samanthamcneil]

I can never think of squirrels the same again. They are now the little gardeners. I am very impressed by your observations!

[funnywolffarm]

I appreciate the ripples of the thoughts you have during your day making it to these videos. Makes me feel a little more sane if nothing else.

[PaleGhost]

"Humans are the only animals who do agriculture"
Squirrels: *Hold my nuts.*

[marilenebeaulieu]

I wonder if the nuts on the north side have more chance to be forgotten by the squirrel that left them there since the soil stay frozen longer?

[thenextpoetician]

I never underestimate the skill and determination of the forest's front line alarm system. They've got things organized. Lots to learn from them. :)

[fertiliza]

The best I've done to my small farm was been away for almost 3 years. When I finally had the opportunity to live here I walked through the land and found lots of native fruit trees in the go brought by birds, wild edible herbs, some microclime spots, etc. One more year living and observing I learned the best places to place ponds, greenhouse and animals shelters. Patience is a must. A great exercise to my anxiety issues...

[BroadShouldersFarm]

Absolutely fascinating. What a keen and patient observer you are.

[SomeRoomtoGrow]

This video blew my mind. Obviously I was expecting to hear about human designers, but of course nature is and always will be the true master to learn from.

[anthonyburdine]

Great video ! I really enjoy your paradigm shifts and willingness to learn from nature and not simply try to control it !!😊

[SkotColacicco]

BEHOLD! The wisdom of squirrels!

Seriously though. They have a level of wisdom we can really learn from.

Kudos to you for having the patience and wisdom to listen to the proper successive wisdom of Nature.

[OldReddingFarm]

Can't wait to see what a wild plum looks like !!

[TheVigilantStewards]

That's impressive you can spot the kind of tree it is from a sapling, nice observations!

[RussellBallestrini]

Amazing. Giving credit where it is deserved! I actually communicated with a squirrel last summer at my in-laws camper. He or she was gathering shag bark hickory nuts by knocking them out of the tree. I sat under the tree and collected them as they fell. The squirrel knew I was there, threw a few nuts at me, took a few breaks hoping I would leave, and finally decided to harvest me enough nuts for me to get bored and leave. If I was to climb that tree for the nuts I would have assuredly have fallen and possibly died.

The squirrel knew I wouldn't hurt it, it wasn't exactly happy to work for me, but it knew I also offered protection from preditors.

It was a really emotion couple hours for me as I hung out.

Needless to say I ate half those hickory nuts and planted the other half in pots. My hope is to bring this very important food source close to my home next spring, assuming I can get some seedlings to sprout!

By the way, I wasn't the only one mooching off the squirrels work, there were countless chipmunks partaking (I scared them off) and even a snake looking for a quick meal from a chipmunk. Truely amazing to re-intergrate and immerse myself back to nature.

I stand firm that I did not outsmart the squirrel but rather I communicated my intention (granted I could tell it wasn't happy that a more dominant creature was forcing the situation).

[davidharzman]

Thank you for sharing your education and expanding the way we all learn! So many lessons from you on specific species of plants, but so many more concepts about how we can learn from nature! I love your content, thank you for taking the time to film, edit and upload.

[calmperson]

Woooh! Trees! Thanks for the info again! Cheers!

[StillSwirling]

I never thought of squirrels as being helpful! Thanks for sharing. ♥️

[yLeprechaun]

Great video! I never really thought of them purposely burying seed for the pupose of growing. Makes perfect sense when you consider it. Very fun to watch.

[multcoloured]

This is such a wholesome and lovely video, thank you!

[my_permaculture]

Such an impressive insight! Thanks for sharing.