The Tree of Life
A First-of-its-Kind Project: A Perennial Food System & Artwork Built into the Landscape
As one of its signature multi-year projects, The REED Center is developing a large-scale 15-acre demonstration project at Morning View Food Forest that will embody and visually display the beauty and productivity of radically diverse food forest systems. To our knowledge, this project is the first of its kind in our region, if not the world.
Starting in 2023, volunteers of all ages, including student and community groups, will be invited to MVFF to participate in the planting of thousands of trees, shrubs, vines and root crops. These diverse species will be integrated to optimize synergies among plants and to maximize photosynthesis and human food production with the goal of creating a resilient and self-sustaining food system that grows increasingly productive with each passing year.
The food forest is designed in the shape of a tree itself, with each section representing specific harvest potentials for each month of the year. The aesthetically-compelling design has been thoughtfully crafted to demonstrate the vast potential for perennial food production systems that support and promote ecological diversity while providing nutrient-dense foods for human communities.
A key vision of The REED Center is to help humans reintegrate into the natural world and to see a place for themselves as beneficial participants in (rather than destroyers of) natural ecosystems. Part of promoting this reintegration is creating hands-on opportunities for learning and physical work for participants of varying abilities and background knowledge of forest ecology and food production.
As the Tree of Life grows over the years, opportunities will expand for people to engage with this project, including:
1) Individual and/or group participation in weekly volunteer days to help with planting, nurturing, protecting, and ultimately harvesting the nuts, fruits, berries, wood, flowers, seeds, and other gifts that this thriving system will provide in years to come.
2) Week-day and/or week-end classes to delve into basics of soil and forest ecology, water systems, birding and wildlife observation, mushroom production, and any other topics of interest that integrate easily with the growing project.
3) Certificate-level permaculture design courses that would incorporate observations from and interactions with this large-scale design project, as well as other projects at MVFF and satellite farms.
4) Art classes, photography, and other forms of expression that are inspired by the Tree of Life project
5) Cooking and food preparation classes to broaden sensory experiences and deepen connections between humans and the natural world around them.
6) Research projects to monitor growth and viability of various species, interaction among species, impacts on wildlife, food production potential (especially in comparison to standard monocropping systems which abound in neighboring farms), optimal pest management strategies, changes in soil health, water dynamics, microclimates, and more.
Clearly there is no limit to the experiences that can be nurtured as part of this Tree of Life Project.
As the food forest matures, there will be additional opportunities to develop small business enterprises around the products coming from this 15-acre forest system. Developing diverse economic streams from this restored land is a critical part of the mission of the project, as it will serve both to support future projects and to demonstrate the economic viability of this alternative eco-agricultural vision.
The Tree of Life at Morning View Food Forest is in its infancy and will require support from volunteers and donors in its early years, but the goal is to develop a self-sustaining ecologically restorative system that heals the land and nurtures the spirits of all who participate.
We need YOU to help us bring this vision to life!
Your tax deductible donations are vital to get this program off the ground. This is literally and figuratively the SEED money for this vision. Thank you in advance for any contribution, no matter the size…your support means the world to us at TRC!