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Occombe Farm Forest Garden

Details

Commenced:	01/02/2011
Submitted:	26/06/2011
Last updated:	07/10/2015
Location:	Paignton, South Devon, GB
Website:	http://www.occombe.org.uk/mainintro.cfm?id=418
Climate zone:	Cool Temperate

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Occombe Farm Forest Garden

Project Type

Rural, Community, Demonstration, Educational

Project Summary

A forest garden planted by and for the local community. The design follows permaculture principles incorporating fruit trees, bushes and shrubs to create an abundant mix of the local, unusual and exotic. The intention of the project is to connect local people with their landscape and be a demonstration of what is possible in the area.

Project Description

Our vision

We believe that creating abundance doesn't have to be at the expense of the planet. This garden is a demonstration of how by design, a tree system can be set up to provide us with a diverse range of foods, that are organically grown and a joy to eat thus promoting our personal health and well being. Ultimately, the garden will become a self sustaining system that maintains soil fertility, requires minimal maintenance and will be highly productive in the decades to come.

What is a forest garden?

The indigenous peoples across the planet have been keeping forest gardens to meet all their needs for millennia. One of the key principles is to pack in useful species into a small area thus the forest garden becomes an intensive and highly productive system. We will do this by mimicking the arboreal structure of a young open woodland, that will produce useful crops at every height from the canopy right down to the rhizomal (underground) layer.

Our future plans

In the future we will be inviting school groups to come and enjoy the garden as it evolves into its own ecosystem. We will be creating a composting zone where the children will grasp the importance of building soil fertility, see worms in action and make their own compost. The site will be a demonstration of local seasonal food growing and an inspiration for people to try in their own back garden.

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