Roots So Deep

So you want to start a Food Forest. Fantastic!
If you sense you could benefit from others experiences and knowledge, then this is for you.

https://collections.humanitix.com/ftff2026

#ftff #growingradicles #syntropic #foodforest

There was a surprise in store this afternoon as I went through the Food Forest seeing how it had been impacted by the high winds in that storm last week. Look what I found…

Arthur corrected me: That looks like the butterfly ginger James, not Myoga.

Hedychium coronarium, often sold in NZ as Galangal as it looks similar.

It is far more vigerous than galangal but the roots are mildly toxic. The flower buds and flowers are supposed to be edible but I've not tried them.

At this open day (Apr 11) in Mangawhai, you’ll see a Food Forest that is just six months old. Arthur and James will share how we prepared the land and the design thinking behind the planting.

It’s a chance to get familiar with the diversity of plants that can go into a system. See how they perform. And notice the difference between the rows that had different degrees of preparation.

Book a place online at:
GrowingRadicles/events - link in the bio

@twinfallsnursery #foodforest #syntropicagroforestry #growingradicles #fasttrackyourfoodforest

A total of 24 people attended the morning and afternoon tours of the Food Forest systems at Twin Falls Nursery.

There was an abundance of questions for as we explored the original system and compared it with the more recent Syntropic inspired designs.

There was generous sharing of the experience and the knowledge gained over the last 12 years. At the end of each tour people took advantage of the abundance of seedlings from the nursery.

The next field day will be in Mangawhai on April 11th.
See growingradicles.org/events for tickets

The Fast Track your Food Forest team are delighted to be able to bring you this opportunity. Happening Sunday 22nd March.

Book at growingradicles.org/events

@twinfallsnursery

You too can create abundance like this. If you want to learn how to create a forest of food at your place we have doubled the number of training days on offer this year, so find one that works for you, and we will see you there!

Find link to the growingradicles.org/events page in the bio.

#syntropicagroforestry
#foodforest
#growingradicles
#fasttrackyourfoodforest

This #syntropicagroforestry #foodforest was planted 3 months ago! What will this look like in three years!

Thank you @twinfallsnursery

The 2026 #fasttrackyourfoodforest trainings will begin in March.

The last photo show what it looked like 9 weeks ago.

#growingradicles
#syntropicagroforestry
#foodforest

What is it about humans that wants to keep birds (or other animals) in cages in their houses?

I just visited a ‘Bird Barn’ – a store that buys then sells birds of all kinds, as pets.

I feel sad.

Have we become so disconnected from nature, that we feel some deep urge for connection, and the only way we can get it is by purchasing a little piece of nature that can chirp at us through the bars of a cage?

Psychological research on pet ownership offers insight into this human tendency.

Studies in human–animal interaction suggest that keeping pets is often a response to an innate desire for companionship and emotional support. Attachment theory indicates that people experience lower levels of stress and anxiety when interacting with animals, partly because physical contact or even observation can trigger the release of oxytocin—the ‘bonding hormone’. Pets can also help alleviate social isolation, providing structure, routine, and unconditional acceptance.

From an evolutionary psychology perspective, humans may have developed a natural inclination to nurture and protect animals because such behaviours historically supported survival, fostering empathy and cooperative bonds within communities. Birds, with their colourful plumage and melodic songs, may particularly stimulate our instinctive attraction to lively, natural cues.

Yet this psychological drive presents a paradox.

In seeking to restore our connection with nature, we often confine the very beings that represent it. The sight of birds in cages reminds us that our emotional fulfilment can come at the expense of another creature’s freedom. This tension raises questions about the moral cost of pet ownership, and whether our desire for companionship justifies limiting the lives of the animals we claim to cherish.

Yesterday a group of people came together and transformed a rough rotary hoe’d paddock into a #syntropicagroforestry #foodforest system with two productive tree rows and three supportive biomass rows.

Some people came and went and others stayed all day, but there was an average of 10 people, and the actual physical labour time was about 5 1/2 hours (plus time for cups of tea and a hearty lunch)!!

This was the last in a series of training days run by the #growingradicles team, over the last six months.

We will run this again next year, so leave a comment if you’re interested in joining next year’s series.

#twinfallsnursery