2nd International Forest Garden / Food Forest Symposium
Online 20 - 24 February 2023
We are a carbon-negative organisation – we store more carbon on our land sites than we produce
Welcome video
AIAH NOACK: The forest garden at Natures Plant Nursery
Aiah talks about her 1 hectare of edible plants and forest garden in Denmark. See also Projects Panel Q & A.
ALAN CARTER: Forest gardening in cold climates and small gardens
Alan talks about forest gardening in northern Scotland
ALAN CARTER: Q & A
ANDERS LINDEN: Nut crops in agroforestry – experiences from southern Sweden
Anders describes his experiments with growing nut crops in a northern climate
ANDERS LINDEN: Q & A
ANDREAS MAIER: Food forest project in the Bavarian Alps: progress and new insights
Andreas gives an update on his food forest project growing in challenging conditions. Plus see Projects panel Q & A.
ANNA LOCKE: Forager’s gardens within a bigger landscape – approach and ideas for gardens and public spaces
Anna talks about edible landscaping using a forest gardening approach. Plus see Design & Techniques panel Q & A.
ANNE STOBART: Introducing medicinal trees and shrubs – Evidence for benefits: bark
Anne describes growing and harvesting bark for medicinal use
ANNE STOBART: Q & A
BASTIAAN ROODUIJN: 3 Years of National monitoring program food forests
Bastiaan talks about the Dutch national monitoring project for food forests. Plus see Research 1 panel Q & A.
BERNHARD GRUBER: Our edible forest garden: A more than 30 year-old forest garden in Central Europe
Bernhard shows us his amazing forest garden in Austria started by his father 30 years ago.
CESC MALDONADO: How forest garden design can help for changing the prevailing gardening conventions in Barcelona
Cesc challenges gardening conventions in Catalonia. Plus see Design & Techniques panel Q & A.
CHARLIE BRENNAN & BRIDGET O’BRIEN: Real-life scaled-up food forestry and farm regeneration
Charlie and Bridget show how farm scale food forestry is possible for the future. Plus see Farm scale panel Q & A.
CHRIS EVANS: Apple coppice system for forest gardens, orchards and hedgerows
Chris describes his experimental system in the UK using coppiced apples.
CHRIS EVANS: Q & A
CHRIS MALLORIE: Holistic pruning
Chris updates us with his work on holistic pruning techniques for agroforestry. Plus see Design & Techniques panel Q & A.
CHRIS WARBURTON BROWN : Plant biodiversity in temperate forest gardens
Chris describes his research on plant biodiversity in forest gardens.
CRISTIANO MARINUCCI: Designing a Mediterranean agroforestry project using local species
Cristiano describes Project from the South of France using local species. Plus see Mediterranean Systems panel Q & A.
DANI BAKER: Creating a one acre forest garden contending with wet ground
Dani describes her project in the USA focusing on hoiw to contend with wet ground.
DANI BAKER: Q & A
EMILE VAN DE STAAK & WOUTER VAN ECK: From food forest to fork
Emile, a Michelin star chef, and Wouter from Ketelbroek forest garden describe their collaboration in the Netherlands. Plus see Perennial Foods panel Q & A.
FRANCESCA RIOLO: The social and environmental benefits of public urban food forests: the case study of the Picasso Food Forest
Francesca describes her inspiring project in Parma, Italy. Plus see Urban panel Q & A.
GAVIN HARDY: Integrating community food forestry into urban life
Gavin talks about his work investigating community food forestry around the world.
ISAAC FUDILI & IRENE GOMEZ: Forest gardening, a tool for family self-sufficiency. Perennia
Isaac and Irene talk about their project in the North of Spain. Plus see Mediterranean panel Q & A.
ISABELLE VAN DER ZANDEN & LIEKE MOEREELS: Food forests in the Netherlands and Belgium – Research on biodiversity and ecosystem function
Isabelle and Lieke update us on their research on food forest biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Plus see Ecosystem 1 panel Q & A.
JAKE RAYSON: Intersectional gardening
Jake describes what Intersectional gardening is, mixing forest gardens, wildlife gardening and more. Plus see UK Projects panel Q & A.
JEROEN BRUIJNES: Monitoring biodiversity in two Dutch food forests
Jeroen takes us through his research monitoring bioidiversity. Plus see Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A.
JEROEN KRUIT: FoodForestResearchNL2.0 – past, present, future
Jeroen describes the state of Dutch research on food forests. Plus see Research 2 panel Q & A.
JO BARKER: Future Food Forests
Jo describes her projects in and around Oxford. Plus see UK Projects panel Q & A.
JOHN PARRY + students: What a University campus forest food garden can offer educationally
John and students describe their forest food garden at the University of Sussex, UK. Plus see Education panel Q & A.
JORN MULLER: Pop goes the canopy – a forest garden design tool
Jorn takes us through the first stages of designing a forest garden using his design tool. Plus see Design & Techniques panel Q & A.
KAORI SANO: Niimi agroforestry project and cooking Japanese perennial foods
Kaori introduces us to her project in Japan and takes us through some classic Japanese methods of cooking perennial foods.
KARINA PONTON & TOMAS REMIARZ: Adventures in creating forest gardens: lessons from our 10 year participatory trial
Karina and Tomas describe a 10 year participatory research trial. Plus see Research 2 panel Q & A.
KRISTEN KRASH: Agroforestry: our best chance to save the world’s rainforests
Kristen farms in Ecuador and describes how she uses intensive agroforestry. Plus see Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A.
LOTTA ORTHEIL: Exploring the Potential of Urban Food Forestry
An inspiring presentation from Lotta looking at how urban food forestry has great potential.
MALIKA CIEREMANS: Food forest education: topics, methodologies, results, lessons learnt from experience
Malika has been involved in food forest education in the Netherlands for some years and has valuable experience gained. Plus see Education panel Q & A.
MALTE ROD: How to get new garden crops into the kitchen
Malte has some great advice and ideas for getting people to eat more perennial vegetables . Plus see Perennial Foods panel Q & A.
MARC BUITER: Cooperation with the agricultural sector to shift to food forests
Marc describes cooperating with the Dutch agricultural sector to make the shift to food forestry. Plus see Economics panel Q & A.
MARGARITA PALATNIK: Developing native forms of food forestry in Uruguay
Margarita takes us ona tour of her farm showing how she is developing food forests in Uruguay. Plus see Mediterranean Systems panel Q & A.
MARIA HAMMARSTEN: Forest garden for learning and hands-on activities from children’s perspectives
Maria shows us how forest gardens are used for children in Swedish schools. Plus see Education panel Q & A.
MARIEKE KARSSEN: Online food forest community
Marieke describes her projects to increase community between food foresters. Plus see Research 1 panel Q & A.
MARK BIFFEN & GISELA MIR: Challenges of small-scale Mediterranean forest gardening – the experience of Phoenicurus
Mark and Gisela talk about their experiences of forest gardening in the Mediterranean. Plus see Mediterranean Systems panel Q & A.
MARTIJN AALBRECHT & JORDY VAN EIJK: Productive cultivars for the Dutch climate
Martijn and Jordy talk about putting together a productive cultivar database for Dutch conditions. Plus see Research 2 panel Q & A.
MARTIN CRAWFORD: Starting a Plant Nursery
Martin gives tips and advice on starting up a plant nursery to grow perennial plants.
MARTIN CRAWFORD: Q & A
MAX DE CORTE: A decentralized (social) urban food forest
Max describes his amazing project in The Netherlands growing food forests in urban areas. Plus see Urban panel Q & A.
MAXIME LELOUP: Make agroforests functional starting from a definition
Maxime hones in on the functional aspects of food forests. Plus see Research 1 panel Q & A.
MICHAEL HULET: Designing a forest garden on an ipad – an app walkthrough
Michael takes us through the basic steps of designing a forest garden using a simple app. Plus see Design & Techniques panel Q & A.
NICKIE BARTLETT: Story gathering project: our discoveries so far
Nickie gives us an overview of the NFGS story gathering project. Plus see Research 1 panel Q & A.
NICOLA PEEL: Regenerate the soil, sequester carbon and save the forests with Inga alley cropping
Nicola shows us her project in Ecuador using Inga alley cropping in intensive food-forest-like systems. Plus see Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A.
NICOLAAS GEIJER: Food forest calculation tool for a business case
Nicolaas shows us the calculation tool to predict food forest income in the Dutch context. Plus see Economics panel Q & A.
RACHEL HAMMOND: Urban Food Production, Toolkit & integrating agroforestry
Rachel describes her projects in Oxford, UK, and the toolkit she had developed. Plus see Education panel Q & A.
RENAUD MAROY: Food forests: a solution to hampering IPCC tradeoffs
Renaud’s first presentation looks at how food forests fit most of the solutions required in the IPCC report.
RENAUD MAROY: A Global Warming of +0C scenario based on food forests
Renaud’s second presentation looks in details at how food forests fit can lead to zero global warming.
ROB PATON: Grass to savannah in rural Bedfordshire – practical implementation of silvopasture and agroforestry at landscape level
Rob describes how he has changed his farm to introduce agroforestry and forest gardening ideas. Plus see Farm Scale Q & A.
ROBERT GUYTON: The New Zealand (forest) gardener – using words to grow forests
Robert has been growing and writing about his forest garden for 30 years and here he shares his thoughts on the importance of writing.
ROBERT GUYTON: Q & A
ROBIN GURNEY: Pillapalu Forest Retreat: Creating non-wood forest products for sustainable income
Robin describes his business in Estonia using products from forests. Plus see Projects panel Q & A.
RONAN DELENTE & LEA BARBANCE: La Closerie d’olt agroforestry microfarm presentation
Ronan and Lea present their agroforestry microfarm project in France.
SOPHIE ROSTAS REEVE: Forest gardening in Bulgaria – indigenous traditions and contemporary community
Sophie takes us on a fascinating journey looking at forest gardening in Bulgaria. Plus see Projects panel Q & A.
STEFAN FOGELQVIST: Ecosystem services and climate mitigation from forest gardens
Stefan looks at how forest gardens can mitigate climate cgange and provide many other ecosystem services. Plus see Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A.
STEFANIE ALBRECHT: Developing the economic dimension of food forests as comprehensive sustainability solutions
Stefanie talks about the importance of the economic dimensions of food forests. Plus see Research 2 panel Q & A.
STEPHEN BARSTOW: Biodiversity in Norway’s “The Edible Garden”
Stephen is well know for his collection and knowledge about perennial edibles, here he focuses on the biodiversity in his garden. Plus see Ecosystem 1 panel Q & A.
STIJN HEIJS: Cocreation for sales of food forest harvests
Stijn describes how partnerships with food businesses are leading to a rapid increse in food forestry in the Netherlands. Plus see Economics panel Q & A.
STUART HALL: Grass to food: dreaming of an orchard
Stuart shows us his project which has transformed an empty piece of land into a thriving orchard – food forest.
TISH KERKHAM: Forest gardening, honey bees and the community – developing a forest garden on the fringe of Norwich
Tish and others show us their community forest garden project In Norfolk, UK. Plus see UK Projects Q & A.
TREES DE BRUYNE: Our community-building methodology: aiming to empower all to create their own tiny food forest
Trees shows us with great enthusiasm how her project in the Netherlands empowers prople to make their own food forests. Plus see Education panel Q & A.
WOUTER VAN ECK: Food forest farming and the role of exotic species: are diverse polycultures of native and exotic plants threatening or stimulating biodiversity?
Wouter argues that complex polycultures of native and non-native plants in food forests can be both productive and excellent for biodiversity. Plus see Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A.
YANN BOULESTREAU: Could food forests feed (Northern) Europe in a near future?
Yann looks at the latest research on productivity of food forests to ask how many people they can feed.. Plus see Research 2 panel Q & A.
Design & Techniques panel Q & A (Anna Locke, Michael Hulet, Cesc Maldonado, Jorn Muller, Chris Mallorie)
Economics panel Q & A (Nicolaas Geijer, Stijn Heijs, Marc Buiter)
Ecosystem 1 panel Q & A (Isabelle van der Zanden, Lieke Moereels, Stephen Barstow)
Ecosystem 2 panel Q & A (Wouter van Eck, Kristen Krash, Nicola Peel, Stefan Fogelqvist, Jeroen Bruijnes)
Education panel Q & A (Malika Cieremans, Rachel Hammond, John Parry+students, Trees de Bruyne, Maria Hammarsten)
Farm scale panel Q & A (Rob Paton, Charlie Brennan, Bridget O'Brien)
Mediterranean panel Q & A (Cristiano Marinucci, Margarita Palatnik, Mark Biffin & Gisela Mir)
Perennial foods panel Q & A (Malte Rod, Emile can der Staak, Wouter van Eck)
Projects panel Q & A (Aiah Noack, Bernhard Gruber, Sophie Rostas Reeve, Andreas Maier, Robin Gurney)
Research 1 panel Q & A (Marieke Karssen, Bastiaan Rooduijn, Maxime Leloup, Nickie Bartlett)
Research 2 panel Q & A (Karina Ponton, Tomas Remiarz, Jeroen Kruit, Stefanie Albrecht, Yann Boulestreau, Martijn Aalbrecht, Jordy van Eijk)
Urban panel Q & A (Max de Corte, Francesca Riolo)
UK projects panel Q & A (Jo Barker, Jake Rayson, Tish Kerkham)
FILM: WITHIN THE FOREST
Thomas Regnault (maker of the short National Geographic film on food forests) has made this full length film on food forests in Europe.