Future Roots Locally Grown Guide - Catalog - Page 74
PLANTING A FOREST OF FOOD
“Put simply, agroforestry is farming with trees,” explains Brooke Bonner, owner of
Drinkers of the Wind Farm. “That can mean anything from a homeowner’s backyard
food forest to a large-scale system that integrates tree crops with a traditional
cash crop like grain or hay.”
F
or Brooke, agroforestry is about intentionally mimicking the diversity of a natural ecosystem. Her farm has planted over 100 varieties so far, creating a layered agricultural system
with plants on the ground, shrubs above them, and a canopy of trees overhead.
“Implementing agroforestry has allowed us to make more efficient use of land that was already
impacted by agriculture,” she continues. By incorporating three vertical layers of crops, Drinkers of the Wind produces more from the same agricultural footprint. As Brooke describes it,
“We’re turning the same amount of sun, soil, and water into more nutrition for the community
than if we were just producing one layer of a single crop in each field.”
But agroforestry isn’t just about maximizing production — it’s also about ecosystem health.
At Drinkers of the Wind, the focus is on increasing plant diversity, improving soil health, and
working in concert with the land. “I have a vivid memory of visiting the orchard last spring and
being stopped in my tracks by the cacophony of buzzing from all the insects feasting on our
flowering trees and cover crops,” Brooke recalls. “Three years before, that exact spot had been
nothing but compacted, bare soil and noxious weeds. It was a night-and-day difference.”
Agroforestry isn’t limited to farms. Over the past year, Future Roots, as part of the Wood River
Valley Forest Collaborative, has coordinated several tree-planting projects in both natural and
urban environments. At Balmoral/Kiwanis Park in Hailey, 30 volunteers planted 12 trees around
the playground to provide shade, reduce noise pollution, and offer fresh apples to neighborhood families. This project, funded by Cox Communications, was a collaboration with The Arbor
Day Foundation and the City of Hailey. Additionally, 12 volunteers planted over 1,000 Douglas
fir seedlings in the Ross Fork Fire burn area to aid biodiversity recovery, prevent erosion, and
increase carbon sequestration.
This year, Future Roots is partnering with the Blaine County School District on two treeplanting projects across three school sites. At Hailey Elementary and Alturas Elementary,
community volunteer events will add trees—including fruit trees—to provide shade and serve as
sound and air pollution barriers due to the schools’ proximity to Friedman Memorial Airport.
Additionally, Future Roots is working with stakeholders in hopes of planting an orchard onsite
at the Wood River Middle School, alongside the construction of a greenhouse.
At Sun Valley Community School, they plan to expand their campus garden by adding native
shrubs, vines, grasses, and forbes species, as well as several fruit trees that thrive in colder
environments. Their goal is to create a system that nurtures curiosity, nourishes the health
and wellness of students, and gives back to the nature surrounding the garden.
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