The following resources were compiled by Kip of Victoria Farm
Organizations
Agroforestry Research Trust www.agroforestry.co.uk
46 Hunters Moon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6JT England
Martin Crawford’s ongoing work is truly inspirational. He has single-handedly designed, planted and managed a large (over 2 acres, containing 35,000+ individual plants) forest garden over the past 14 years. Mr. Crawford has also published a quarterly newsletter-journal for the past 16 years, each bundled with valuable information. These along with books and numerous factsheets are available through the website. For those able to visit the southwest of England, Mr. Crawford conducts forest garden classes and tours several times per year and these are highly recommended.
Permanent Agriculture Resources www.agroforestry.net
P.O. Box 428, Holualoa, HI 96725 USA
For tropical regions, Permanent Agriculture Resources offers internships, educational outreach, a free email journal (The Overstory) and other free online publications such as Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide and Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands.
Plants for a Future https://www.pfaf.org
St Veep, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0QJ, England
Ken Fern’s excellent online database of perennial plants.
Books
Nitrogen Fixing Plants for Temperate Climates by Martin Crawford. One of the best sources of practical information on nitrogen fixing temperate species. A huge amount of information is contained in 90 pages. Detailed species descriptions, needs, habits and uses tables, guidelines for nitrogen fixer/crop canopy area ratio to supply adequate nitrogen and more. Species covered range from tall trees all the way down to lichens. Essential for research and planning. Available from the Agroforestry Research Trust.
Edible Forest Gardens by David Jacke and Eric Toensmeier. A two volume set on Forest Garden theory and application. Very detailed and well illustrated, a wealth of information for the temperate forest garden. Volume I covers vision and theory and is 396 pages. It includes a top 100 forest garden species section. Volume II is focused on design and practice and is 672 pages. Volume two offers vast appendices containing species need, habit and use matrices; including beneficial animal and insect habitat information, nectary calendar and more. Essential for research and planning. David Jacke conducts ongoing forest garden classes, which are posted on the author’s website: www.edibleforestgardens.com
Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory: Third Edition . Edited by Kent Whealy. Excellent inventory of North American mail order nursery listings for the usual and very unusual. 560 pages. Highly recommended.
Forest Gardening by Robert Hart. Inspirational book by the man who planted the first temperate forest garden in Shropshire, England. 210 pages.
Forest Farming by Robert Hart and Sholto Douglas. Agroforestry on a larger scale, primarily in tropical regions. 200 pages.
The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy. Geared for home scale applications, 380 pages of species information and practical information.
How to Make a Forest Garden by Patrick Whitefield. 168 page do-it-yourself guide to forest gardening.
Growing Unusual Vegetables by Simon Hickmott. Practical information for unusual greens, roots, fruits, seeds, grains and spices. 266 pages.
Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier. From the co-author (and to the standards of) Edible Forest Gardens. 256 pages divided into species profiles (over 100) and techniques for growing.
Fruit and Nuts by Susanna Lyle. Cultivation and uses of over 300 subtropical and temperate food plants in a large coffee-table format. 480 pages.
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by Russell Smith. One of the early permaculture books, written in 1929. Although geared towards tree crops for animals, human tree crops are advocated as well. 333 pages.
Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia Morton. Rare book posted online at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html
Nurseries in North America
There are too many reputable nurseries to list, but the following offer some of the more difficult to find species and will mail order:
Horizon Herbs *Certified Organic
www.horizonherbs.com
Fantastic selection of medicinal herb plants and seed. Great source for comfrey, also has many trees, such as Myrica Rubra (Red Bayberry, a promising forest garden nitrogen fixing tree with edible fruit)
Rolling River *Certified Organic
www.rollingrivernursery.com
Great selection of fruits, nuts, natives and ground covers.
Hidden Springs *Organic methods
www.hiddenspringsnursery.com
Many improved Elaeagnus (shade tolerant nitrogen fixing shrub with edible fruit) species available.
Colvos Creek Nursery
www.colvoscreeknursery.com
Drought hardy trees, shrubs and perennials with m any alnus (alder) varieties, large catalog.
Forest Farm
www.forestfarm.com
Enormous inventory, including dry soil tolerant and shrub/dwarf varieties of the excellent nitrogen fixing alnus (alder) family.
Oikos Tree Crops
www.oikostreecrops.com
Specializing in open pollinated, genetically diverse species.
Edible Landscaping
www.ediblelandscaping.com
Huge selection, even offering an inoculated oak shiitake mushroom log, ready to go.
Shooting Star
www.shootingstarnursery.com
Plants and seeds native to the forests, prairies and wetlands of the eastern United States. Great plant selection key.
