Food Forest

Education Station #5

A food forest, also known as a food garden, is a self-sustaining ecosystem that mimics nature. Food forests produce foods such as nuts, fruits, or vegetables while also producing natural herbs that can be used for healing purposes. Food forests are made up of seven layers: the canopy layer, the understory, the shrub layer, the herbaceous layer, the root layer, the ground cover layer, and the vine layer.¹ These seven layers allow for the food forests to survive on their own with little to no maintenance while also naturally mimicking patterns found in nature. Current discussions around climate change mitigation and adaptation methods have encouraged the use of nature-based solutions such as food forests for climate resilience. A community's ability to adapt is reliant on their access to ecological, agricultural, and socioeconomic resources.². Food forests provide multiple benefits for its users such as being self-sustaining, providing food, and sequestering carbon; these services offer solutions to issues of food security, climate change, and sustainability. All of which create resilient communities to not only climate vulnerabilities but other vulnerabilities as well.

BY LINDA RODRIGUEZ

Explore The Habitats of The 7 Layers

A food forest provides a rich habitat for wildlife by mimicking natural forest ecosystems and incorporating seven layers of diverse vegetation. At OVGG, we leave leaf litter on the ground to enhance habitat quality by supporting soil health, providing shelter, and sustaining biodiversity. Here’s how each layer contributes and what you can grow!:

  • (Tall Trees – Nuts & Fruit Trees)

    • Large, fruiting trees (e.g., walnuts, pecans, avocados) provide nesting sites and shelter for birds, squirrels, and beneficial insects.

    • These trees create a microclimate, reducing temperature extremes and retaining moisture.

    More examples:

  • (Smaller Fruit Trees)

    • Mid-sized trees (e.g., citrus, persimmons, pomegranates) offer forage and habitat for pollinators, birds, and arboreal mammals.

    • Their fallen fruit supports decomposers and ground-feeding animals.oes here

  • (Berries & Bushes)

    • Shrubs like blueberries, elderberries, and currants provide food and shelter for birds, insects, and small mammals.

    • Dense foliage creates refuge from predators and nesting spots for birds.

  • (Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers)

    • Pollinator-friendly plants (e.g., comfrey, mint, yarrow) attract bees, butterflies, and predatory insects that control pests.

    • Provides cover for amphibians, lizards, and beneficial insects.cription

  • (Underground Crops)

    • Root vegetables (e.g., carrots, garlic, radishes) aerate the soil and create underground tunnels for beneficial microbes and worms.

    • Burrowing insects, fungi, and microorganisms thrive here, enhancing soil biodiversity.

  • (Creeping Plants & Low Herbs)

    • Low-growing plants like strawberries, thyme, and clover act as living mulch, reducing soil erosion and supporting insect diversity.

    • These plants host small invertebrates, which serve as food for birds and amphibians.

  • (Climbers & Trellised Crops)

    • Vines like grapes, beans, and passionfruit create vertical habitat for birds, pollinators, and climbing insects.

    • Dense vine cover offers hiding places for small creatures.

The Role of Leaf Litter in Habitat Creation

  • Shelter & Nesting → Leaf litter provides insulation and safe spaces for insects, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals.

  • Food Source → Decomposing leaves feed fungi, worms, and microbes, supporting the base of the food web.

  • Moisture Retention → Helps maintain soil moisture, benefiting plants, fungi, and ground-dwelling organisms.

  • Soil Regeneration → Nutrient cycling from decomposing leaves enriches the soil, creating a healthier ecosystem.

By leaving leaf litter in your food forest, you enhance biodiversity, promote soil fertility, and create a thriving habitat that supports a balanced ecosystem.

OVGG’s Food Forest

This section is under construction.

Grow your own Food Forest AT HOME!

Creating your own food forest at home is a great way to grow food while supporting biodiversity and improving soil health. Here’s a step-by-step guide to establishing a Southern California-friendly food forest, whether you have a backyard, urban lot, or small homestead.

Step 1: Plan Your Food Forest

  • Assess Your Space – Measure your area and observe sun patterns, wind exposure, and water flow.

  • Identify Your Soil Type – Sandy, clay, or loamy? Improve soil as needed with compost and mulch.

  • Understand Your Climate – In Southern California, focus on drought-tolerant and native species.

  • Choose Your Goal – Do you want more fruit? Pollinator habitat? Drought resilience?

Step 2: Design the Seven Layers

1. Canopy Layer (Tall Trees)

  • Example: Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) for shade and acorns.

  • Alternative: Avocado (Persea americana) or Mulberry (Morus nigra) for fruit.

  • Placement: Plant on the north side to avoid shading smaller plants too much.

2. Sub-Canopy (Smaller Fruit Trees)

  • Example: Pomegranate (Punica granatum) for drought-tolerant fruit.

  • Alternative: Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) for pollinators.

  • Placement: Space trees 10-15 feet apart for airflow and growth.

3. Shrub Layer (Berries & Bushes)

  • Example: Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) for birds and soil enrichment.

  • Alternative: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) for winter berries.

  • Placement: Around tree bases or along borders to create habitat edges.

4. Herbaceous Layer (Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers)

  • Example: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) to attract pollinators.

  • Alternative: White Sage (Salvia apiana) for bees and drought tolerance.

  • Placement: Between trees and shrubs, near pathways for easy access.

5. Ground Cover Layer (Creeping Plants)

  • Example: Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) for fruit and soil protection.

  • Alternative: Clover (Trifolium wormskioldii) as a nitrogen fixer.

  • Placement: Around tree bases and open areas to prevent erosion.

6. Root Layer (Underground Crops)

  • Example: Wild Onion (Allium haematochiton) for pollinators and food.

  • Alternative: Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) for tubers and pollinators.

  • Placement: Near edges or between trees where soil is improved.

7. Vine Layer (Climbers & Trellised Crops)

  • Example: California Wild Grape (Vitis californica) for bird food and shade.

  • Alternative: Passion Vine (Passiflora spp.) for butterflies and edible fruit.

  • Placement: Grow on trellises, fences, or large trees for vertical growth.

Step 3: Prepare the Soil & Plant

  • Sheet Mulching: Suppress weeds and build soil by layering cardboard, compost, and mulch.

  • Dig Bioswales or Basins: Capture rainwater by creating shallow ditches along slopes.

  • Plant in Guilds: Group plants together that help each other—e.g., plant nitrogen-fixing clover under fruit trees.

Step 4: Add Habitat Features

  • Leave Leaf Litter: Improves soil and shelters insects, amphibians, and birds.

  • Logs & Rock Piles: Provides homes for lizards and beneficial insects.

  • Water Sources: Birdbaths, small ponds, or dishes of water support pollinators and wildlife.

Step 5: Maintain & Let Nature Work

  • Minimal Irrigation: Use drip irrigation or deep watering to establish plants, then reduce watering as they mature.

  • Mulch Regularly: Suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and builds soil.

  • Observe & Adjust: Watch how plants grow and adjust spacing or pruning as needed.

Bonus: Small-Space Food Forest Ideas

  • Urban Backyard: Use dwarf trees, container-friendly berries, and vines on trellises.

  • Side Yard: Grow a vertical food forest with passionfruit, grapes, and espaliered fruit trees.

  • Patio or Balcony: Use pots with a small fruit tree, herbs, and strawberries.

 Bioswale

BY THI VO

Bioswales, or shallow trenches or ditches lined with highly absorbent sands, soils, and plants, are one type of green infrastructure that can be implemented as a sustainable substitute for traditional water filtration methods. They collect large stormwater volumes, but unlike ditches, they intentionally promote slowing, cleansing and infiltration along the way. This method of purification can be very beneficial to urban areas, as bioswales combat flooding. Bioswales are very sustainable implementations, as they are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and easy to construct. The design and types of plants and soils used in bioswales can vary depending on the region and environment. For instance, our food forest benefits from the bioswale structure since they are entirely dependent on rainfall. Due to the roots from the vegetation, the soil is able to absorb water better and retain water for a longer period compared to compact soil and dirt. Overall, bioswales are excellent tools to remove water pollutants in urban areas and help prevent soil erosion that can pollute our oceans and rivers.

The work of the Global ARC is guided by the core principle of bioregionalism: 

“Human beings are social animals; if we are to flourish as a species we need healthy relationships and secure attachments in our living arrangements with one another and with the land, waters, habitat, plants and animals upon which we depend.”

Natural ways to improve fruit production

Our goal is to contribute to the creation of what the World Health Organization considers ‘the fundamental conditions and resources for health . . . peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity. Improvement in health requires a secure foundation in these basic prerequisites.”   At the heart of bioregionalism is this concept of “secure attachments;” attachments to both each other and to the living, breathing environment within which we live. 

Rooted in bioregional thinking, Green Infrastructure & Progressive Planning refer to a way of thinking about how we create our living spaces.  We know that where one lives is the best predictor of health, education and upward mobility.  We also know that one's zip code is a better predictor of one's longevity than one's DNA.  Healthy places tend to produce healthy people an unhealthy places tend to produce unhealthy people.

Reclaiming - Recycling Water for Healthy Growing

The Global ARC's work in this area focuses on creating healthy communities by creating healthy places.  Operating a living laboratory, the Ocean View Growing Grounds, and working with partners such as the University of California-San Diego's Bioregional Center for Sustainability Science, Planning and Design, the Global ARC is developing new and innovative ways to create healthy places by linking the research, science and technology within universities to the organized lived-experience, knowledge and creativity of community  residents in order to unleash untapped innovation necessary to address threats to the environment such as climate change.

Works Cited

¹ "What Is A Food Forest? – Project Food Forest". Projectfoodforest.Org, 2021, https://projectfoodforest.org/what-is-a-food-forest/. Accessed 12 Nov 2021.
² Pervin, Mousumi, Shahana Sultana, Am Phirum, Isatou F. Camara, Vincent M. Nzau,Vanhthone Phonnasane, Pasalath Khounsy, Nanki Kaur, and Simon Anderson. Report. International Institute for Environment and Development, 2013. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep01244.