If your food forest is struggling to meet the expectations for annual food production, it is often beneficial to step back and analyze the system. No one wants a "food-less forest" when the initial goal was abundance. In this permaculture podcast episode, we will have a lengthy chat about what can cause a slowing of production and what can be one to bring back the abundance.

Whether your new system (< 3 years old) has never started producing OR your mature food forest (5+ years) has stopped or slowed in its production - there is a solution. So, before we solve the problem, let's figure out what is causing the bottle neck.

It's time to go from a food-less forest to productive abundance.

Native species of plants are a multi-layered gift to the ecosystem. Not only are they hardy and resilient, but they also support soil life, insects, and songbirds. In this episode, your hosts (David and Kris) will interview Chris & Christie Leibner from Wild Garden Co. Chris and Christie specialize in Florida native plants and garden design, and have served many families in Central Florida by integrating natives into the food forest and home landscape.

This episode will focus on each of our favorite “native forward” plants that we suggest people integrate into their food systems. So, if you are looking for our favorite recommendations – this episode will give you plenty. This episode will cover some powerhouse natives spanning multiple layers of the food forest, including top story trees, bushes, flowering plants, vines, and more! Get ready to take notes, because you might learn about a new plant or two to add to your shopping list.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we each had $500K to get started on our dream property and food forest? Better yet, wouldn’t it be nice if we had $1M and could retire and just become full time farmers on that land? Well, unfortunately many of us need to start on either a limited budget or limited time constraints, however – we can still take steps forward.

In this episode, David and Kris will share not only how they got started planting their food forests, but also give tips on how to make progress right where you are. Whether you are starting with .22 acres in suburbia or 22 acres in the country, it’s time to plant those trees. You will learn not only some practical tips for immediate success and gratification, but also some of the pitfalls that many people face.

Learn how to start a food forest on a budget and be sure to have a notebook ready, this episode is packed with some real gold nuggets for both new and experienced gardeners. It’s time for abundance.