Future-proofing community orchards in the face of our changing climate is of great concern to us.

Forest Gardens offer a low maintenance, more climate-resilient method of sustainable food production.

The Orchard Project is making the first step in this exciting direction is the launch of a new, accredited course in Forest Gardening.

Forest Gardens, or Food Forests (as they are known in the US), have been championed among permaculture advocates for decades. For the uninitiated, forest gardens are low maintenance ecosystems involving a wide range of edible or useful plants and fungi grown layers; a canopy of fruit and nut trees at the top, going down to tubers and roots at the lowest level. Given that fruit and nut trees nearly always feature in forest gardens, we’ve broadened our concept of community orchards to include these versatile spaces.

But what are the benefits of transforming orchards into food forests? Find out here and book your place on the course.