In my previous entry, I mentioned how Dr. Morris spoke of the importance of knowing relevant terms. This is one of the first things that came up as we arrived at the FGCU Food Forest. We learned the the Food Forest is a permaculture. A Permaculture an environmental area that is self sufficient because of the different interactions of the species within.
As we walked through the Food Forest, I started seeing this 'permaculture' more and more. For starters, the west side of the forest was lined with passion fruit vines and bamboo shutes. Most of the plants inside the forest are tropical, and can't handle cold temperatures from wind. So the vines and bamboo act as a wind barrier.
Most of the plants in the Food Forest are edible, and open for students to pick and eat, although it
should be noted that you're eating them at your own risk. Some plants contain chemicals such as cyanid, and can be harmful if not cooked or consumed correctly. One plant we saw that is quite familiar to us was the Pigeon Pea. It does taste so good uncooked...
To wrap this up, I learned that the Food Forest is always looking for help, and offers Service Learning hours. They have meetings Mondays from 4-6.
Once inside, there are many low lying weed like plants that seem to have taken over the ground cover of the berms. But this greenery is intentional. The roots of theres ground covering plants keep the soil from eroding, in turn making sure the bigger plants on the berms strive.
The Food Forest uses a technique that I have previously never heard of. Wormaculture is when you use worms to compost green waste, and in this case, they use that compost to fertilize the rest of the plants. I thought this concept was pretty cool.
Durring this field trip, I learned the difference between annually blooming plants vs. perennially blooming plants. Annual plants bloom time after time, year after year, while perennial plants, such banana trees, only bloom once before dying.
Durring this field trip, I learned the difference between annually blooming plants vs. perennially blooming plants. Annual plants bloom time after time, year after year, while perennial plants, such banana trees, only bloom once before dying.
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| Pigeon Peas |
Most of the plants in the Food Forest are edible, and open for students to pick and eat, although it
should be noted that you're eating them at your own risk. Some plants contain chemicals such as cyanid, and can be harmful if not cooked or consumed correctly. One plant we saw that is quite familiar to us was the Pigeon Pea. It does taste so good uncooked...
To wrap this up, I learned that the Food Forest is always looking for help, and offers Service Learning hours. They have meetings Mondays from 4-6.
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