Design elements of Food forest model

Design elements of Food Forest Model

At Gramonnati Trust, we adopt Agroecological and Permaculture principles and method of 5-layer farming model to design our Food Forest. There are three dimensional designs in Food Forest – up, down, and out. This includes, placing emphasis on trees, shrubs, perennials, and self-seeding annuals, planting thickly and using ground covers to shade soil and suppress weeds, utilizing nitrogen-fixing and nutrient-accumulating plants, chop-and-drop techniques, and returning wastes to the land to create healthy soil rather than applying fertilizer, planting a diverse array of plants that attract beneficial insects to pollinate the fruit crops and keep pest populations from exploding and causing damage, utilizing several ground-shaping techniques to keep rain water on the site, and designing for placement of plants to create micro-climates and windbreaks.

Food-Forest Model works in a way that it ensures

• Round-the-year yield
• Regenerative ecosystem
• Climate resilience
• Ecological and Economic Benefits
• Financial sustainability
• Replicability

Design of our FOOD FOREST MODEL

• Modular design – this design has high Density and gives high yield. This design will ensure the aesthetic nature of the layout. It is replicable and scalable.
• Multi layered model – this contains 4 layers with 5 different types of plants at one place.
  • These 5 different types of plants are
  1. Trees
  2. Creepers
  3. Roots
  4. Vegetables and greens
• Staggered planting schedule – this model ensures round the year harvest. As it contains such 5 different types of plants, it ensure steady supply of fruits, vegetables and greens, all year long.
• Effective usage of water – even though the plants are of variety, applying drip or rain hose irrigation system is more than enough.
• Plant cycle management – Automated fertigation, soil and foliar application based on the stage of the plant life.
• Standard high quality input and pest and disease control application- centrally produced inputs for nutrients management. Integrated pest and disease management.
• Disciplined operation – we have selected a combination of Ex- soldier and trained Farm Executive for operations. And one agri consultant has been appointed for monitoring of the operations.
• Continuous training and monitoring mechanism for quality check – our AOC or agri operation centre acts as a backbone to monitor the operations and it ensures quality in terms of operation and outcomes.