Jonathan Bates, Permaculturist, Co-Author of Paradise Lot A neglected Holyoke house lot is re-born as a thriving edible forest garden with a wide variety of edible plants and trees. Jonathan Bates offers an overview of how he and his collaborator, Eric Toensmeier, applied principles of permaculture to transform their back and front yards, and how you can do it too. Presented at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming conference at Harvard University on May 3, 2015, organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. www.bio4climate.org

1. A presentation by Jonathan Bates
FoodForestFarm.com
From Bare Ground to Urban Paradise
on One-Tenth of an Acre

2. Holyoke, MA
Paradise Lot

3. Our neighborhood
Our families
Our book
Paradise Lot

4. A presentation by Jonathan Bates
FoodForestFarm.com
* builds soil and restores degraded land
* provides ecosystem services like habitat and rainwater infiltration
* contributes to a just food system and self-determination for communities
* stabilizes global climate through carbon sequestration
We garden using permaculture design, that

5. * mimic the structure and function of forest ecosystems
* designed for low maintenance
* attract wildlife and expand habitat
* grow non-food products too:
~ construction material
~ livestock fodder
~ fuelwood
~ fertilizers
~ medicine
We garden with
Edible Forest Gardens (food forests, home gardens)

6. We create food abundance by mimicking a young forest.
We pick a handful of fresh greens or fruit every day.
We are partners with the garden rather then managers of the garden.
Design goals Paradise Lot
Food ???

7. Site observations + Goals, Inform Design
(regenerative)

8. Paradise Lot
Final Design 2004
Challenges become opportunities...
* Design with plants for shade
* Poor soil grows good sheds

9. spring summer
Design in patches and through time
Use and value diversity...
over 200 species of useful and
edible plants, 50% native (super geeks!)
Multifunctional elements...
perennial polycultures of
multipurpose plants

10. Before

11. After

12. Abundance

13. We create food abundance by mimicking a young forest.
infinite yield...
- 400 pounds of perennial food created 2011 (not including annual vegetables)
We pick a handful of fresh greens or fruit every day.
- meets 80% of our fruit and greens need during the growing season
- meets 20% of our food needs year round
Evaluating the garden design goals
We are partners with the garden rather then managers of the garden.
observe and interact...
- weeds become eggs and compost (from the chickens)
- abundance of baby plants generate income ($10,000 gross in four months)
- soil is thriving and mineralized, sequestering carbon (7.5 tons in 10 years)

14. Workshops,Tours,Plant Sales
every month
April - September 2015
.com
• Name
• Town & State
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Start spring out right with a free
Regenerative Landscape
Transformation Session
First come first serve
www.FoodForestFarm.com/consult
Free Phone Consult
Permaculture Certification Course
6 weekend sessions
September - December 2015
.org