dragon fruit

Dragon fruit

Really interesting story on the Worldwatch site on forest gardens in Mexico.

Basically it seems agromonists tried to introduce Dragon fruit as a cash crop in a Mayan part of  Mexico some 15 years ago, but as soon as funding dried up for concrete posts and trellises required by their system the specialists left. The point is that the tradtional farmers adapted the growing technique to fit into their forest garden practices. Using living trellises of trees of their other crops to support the vine. So now the agromonists are back studying the traditional systems so they can learn from the farmers.

It is a real insight into how good ideas might take root in our post oil future. It is proof that these Mayan villages and their ancient agricultural arts are not just vestiges of a lost way of life; they are crucial models that could teach us “moderns” how to farm in ways that work with, not in spite of, our surrounding ecosystems.

So the link to Wales of course is that we running a short day introduction to forest gardening at Ynyslas on Saturday next. forest gardenins is a productive low maintenance system that can be adapted to suit any climate conditions on the planet. Many of the ideas have evolved from the tropics, Robert Hart famously adapted his forest garden idea from observations made in Kerala, in tropical India. Obviously with much less light and solar energy there is a need to adapt the system to fit our temperate climate, so the whoel area of temperate forest gardening is a very interesting area to be investigating. there are literally 1000′s of plants that love the forest edge situation, and careful use of light and spacing create fantastic opportunities for productive edible landscaping.

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