How to Grow a Food Forest – FAST

Class-Wise Curriculum Overview

Session 1 (Duration: 1.5 hours): Introduction to Food Forest and Preliminary Assessment

• ●  Introduction to Food Forest, Basics, and Eligibility (Who can start?)
  

• ●  Selection of Region: Factors to consider in choosing the right location.
  

• ●  Identifying Crops: What crops are suitable for your food forest?
  

• ●  Minimum Area: Determining the smallest viable space to start.
  

• ●  Sunlight: The role of sunlight in crop selection.
  

• ●  Selection of Crops based on Light: Matching crops with the available sunlight.
  

• ●  Assessment: Identifying your area and listing crops suitable for your climate.
  

• ●  Discussions and QA
  

  Session 2 (Duration: 1.5 hours): Quick Assessment of Your Food Forest Plan
  

• ●  Review of Day 1’s lessons.
  

• ●  Crop Planning: Matching crops to your climate and soil
  

• ●  Space Utilization: Maximizing your available area
  

• ●  Crop Companionship: Choosing plants that work well together
  

• ●  Choosing Trees: Selecting trees for your food forest
  

• ●  Planting Strategy: How to arrange your crops effectively
  

• ●  Soil preparation
  

• ●  Quick Assessment Exercise: Applying your knowledge to your specific plan
  

  In this session, participants would delve deeper into crop selection and companion planting
  while considering how to make the most of their available space. The session concludes with a
  hands-on exercise for participants to apply what they’ve learned to their own food forest plans.
  

  Session 3 (Duration: 1.5 hours): Food Forest Plan Design and Crop Variety
  

• • ●  Review of previous sessions.
    

  • ●  Designing Your Food Forest Plan
    

    • ○  Creating a layout.
      ○  Considerations for pathways and access.
      ○  Designing for vertical growth.

  • ●  Selecting Crops for Your Food Forest
    ○ Irrigation
    ○ Plant care

  ● Interactive Discussion
  

  • ○  A deep dive into participants’ food forest plans.
    ○  Sharing ideas and designs.
    ○  Addressing questions and concerns about crop selection and design 

• Session 4 (Duration: 1.5 hours): Food Forest Propagation, Composting, Zones, and Mulching

• ●A brief review of previous sessions.
  
  ●Plant Propagation Techniques
  ○ Seed Propagation.
  ○ Budding
  ○ Grafting.
  ○ Layering.

  ●Composting for Your Food Forest
  

  • ○  Understanding the composting process.
    ○  Different composting methods
    ○  Creating your own compost.