May 5, 2022 at 12:43 p.m.
Fish Like a Girl: What does 'farming the woods' mean?
Fish Like a Girl: What does 'farming the woods' mean?
In my search for more knowledge on these topics, I was recommended a book that I found interesting enough to warrant sharing here. "Farming the Woods, an Integrated Permaculture Approach to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests" is a 2014 book authored by Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel.
Having grown up surrounded by woods and wetlands, I fully understand that there are many food we can find in the woods, but as I read the book, it opened my eyes to far more things and how humans could, in fact, farm those very woods I loved as a child. Farming the woods, obviously, is not an undertaking with results near as quick as vegetable gardening, however. It is more of an ode to the future and to future generations, but there are many things one could experience in their own lifetime, and fairly quickly, using some of the techniques and practices laid out here.
The book starts with the basic definitions, as well as the history and future of farming temperate forests. I admit some of this material is a bit dry, but well worth the read, as it sets the basis for the rest of the book. The authors thought it important enough to read, and I did, but I found the rest much more interesting and thought-provoking.
One of the things I always think about in reading these types of books is the propensity for many to say, "I just want to go live off the grid." Well, for one, it is not really that easy. And for two, it is definitely not for everyone. There is a lot more work, and a lot more sacrifice, involved than most would be willing to put forth. Although a full "off the grid" lifestyle may not be suited for most, I think there are parts of it we can all take with us, and those parts that we can implement will make a better world for today and tomorrow.
In Chapter Three of the book, there is a section dedicated to "The Characters" of the forest farm. The producers, consumers and decomposers are what the authors refer to here. The producers catch and store energy. These are the plants that create energy from sunlight, storing energy for and distributing energy to others in the forest. The consumers, then are the animals. Birds, amphibians, mammals and insects all fit into this category. The book talks about humans seeing many of these forest animals simply as pests. It then shows how animals are the vector by which things in the forest are moved: seeds, fertility and materials are all moved by animals.
"The patterns of animals as they feed, reproduce, migrate, run from predators, and defecate are sometimes straightforward but often rather eloquent," the authors said. Beneficial insects are addressed here, those that are predators or parasites of pest species that attack the types of vegetation we want to have in our forests. Pollinators, too, play an important role in the forest, and the forest farm.
Decomposers are the last group of characters highlighted. Bacteria and fungi have the job of breaking down complex compounds and releasing simple nutrients into the soil and surrounding environment, where it can be used once again by producers.
The chapter entitled "Fruits, Nuts and More" started out as I would have expected. When I first thought of forest farming, my immediate thought was nuts. Walnuts, acorns, hazelnuts - all of the things with which I had grown up. Berries, too, crossed my mind. I have to admit pawpaw, ramps, elderberry, chokeberry and several others were further from top of mind for me. This chapter was very in depth, teaching about everything from masting of nuts and hand pollination of pawpaws to walnut toxicity and what plants could handle hydrojuglone, the chemical produced by their roots.
Tree syrups were also covered in the book, with details on how the process works. I think most people in the Northwoods have some idea about maple syrup, and I have spoken to a few people in recent years who have tried tapping birch trees as well, but I did not know walnut trees could be tapped for syrup. Maybe I am naive, but I had no idea, so that was an interesting take away for me.
Next came cultivation of mushrooms. This is something I have wanted to learn more about for a long time, but I just have not taken the time to do so. I have friends who hunt for wild mushrooms and have occasionally taken me along, but I still am not sure I am comfortable enough to head out on my own. As the saying goes, "All mushrooms are edible. But some of them only once." Still, I read through the chapter on cultivation with much interest. Nature seems to have the best handle on how to get these delicious edibles to flourish, but I do know people who have become very adept as well. It is a skill I look to learn. From shiitakes to morels and chicken of the woods, the chapter covers them all.
There is also a chapter on forest medicinals. I did not spend a lot of time on this chapter, but it contained a great deal of information about cultivating and wildcrafting ginseng and various other medicinal plants that can be found in the forest.
Wood products, too, were given their own chapter, with the rest of the book being dedicated to Non-Timber Forest Products, or NTFPs. The authors bring the reader through how to calculate fuel for home heating, as well as practices for acquiring and drying wood. Even how to burn woods and in what succession is covered here. We heated largely with wood when I was a kid, so that made sense to me, but may be completely new to those who have not had that experience.
The chapter about animals in the forest was near the back of the book, almost willing me to turn there first. I know animals are a ton of work. Honestly, they would probably be the last forest farming or permaculture practice I would undertake. Even so, learning about how to use them in the forest was still interesting, even if riddled with challenges.
Animals can help by eating/grazing certain areas, and they add nutrients back to the soil through waste. In theory, that seems rather simplistic. When reading through the various animals, however: goats, chickens and turkeys, ducks and geese, pigs, and even horses as work animals, the true picture could not be more different. Different animals are better suited for different forest succession stages. Goats, the author said, are better in forests in the young and middle stages as they can clear undesirable brush. The trick is to keep them just in those areas. Even with fencing, it can be difficult to keep goats where they belong. As a goat-raising friend of mine once told me, goats are apparently made cute because they are so naughty. That is how they can survive (she said this in jest, of course). They can and will wreak havoc at will.
Ducks and geese can be good in forest farming at all stages, but are better for more mature, but choice forests. While they do tend to scratch less than turkeys or chickens, rotation is still likely necessary, the book said. They also need a good amount of water for drinking and bathing. Because ducks root through soil and need water several times per day to clean their nostrils as well as their feathers.
As anyone who has been chased by geese knows (my neighbors across the street had geese, chickens and cows when I was a kid), geese can make good protectors. They can help to guard other animals in the forest. However, they, too, are vulnerable to predators.
I think it goes without saying that a full forest farming environment takes a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of trial and error. I think the best takeaway from the book, though, is that we do not have to put all of these practices to use to become more self-sufficient or to make a better place for not only today's humans and animals, but for tomorrow's as well. I believe this book could inspire many people to pick up just one or two things and try them out. I am happy the book was recommended to me, and I am happy to recommend it to others as well.
Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
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