Turning Your Backyard into a Food Forest with Dani Baker

Turning Your Backyard into a Food Forest with Dani Baker

Author: Susan Poizner, OrchardPeople.com June 28, 2022 Duration: 41:43

Learn how to transform your backyard into a food forest, integrating existing fruit trees and shrubs into the design. Dani Baker, author of The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape is our show guest. Dani is the owner of Cross Island Farms in Wellesley Island, NY and the creator of The Enchanted Edible Forest.

The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website http://www.orchardpeople.com.

 

Formerly known as the Urban Forestry Radio Show, from germination in January 2016 until December 2023, we have grown over the years, thanks to the collective knowledge and collaboration of our monthly guests, organizations, and audience from around the world.

 

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  • (00:00) - Introduction to Community Orchards
  • (00:51) - Introducing Dani Baker and Her Book
  • (01:38) - Understanding Food Forests
  • (03:11) - Planning and Challenges of Food Forests
  • (04:50) - Benefits of Food Forests
  • (05:54) - Steps to Create a Food Forest
  • (07:34) - Audience Questions and Answers: Origin of the guest's name Dani, Species to Consider and Considerations of Species, First Step of Food Forest Preparation
  • (11:12) - Nitrogen Fixing Plants for Food Forests
  • (18:52) - Nutrient Accumulators and Their Benefits
  • (20:27) - Revamping the Garden: Dandelions' Role
  • (21:49) - Listener Questions: Food Forest Planning
  • (22:57) - Cover Crops and Soil Management
  • (25:22) - Maintenance and Labor in Food Forests
  • (26:30) - Permaculture and Climate Change
  • (29:10) - Integrating Herbs for Pollinators
  • (32:06) - Empathy in Gardening: A Psychologist's Perspective
  • (34:45) - Practical Tips for Food Forest Success
  • (38:22) - Exploring the Enchanted Edible Forest
  • (41:20) - Conclusion and Book Promotion

Imagine stepping into your own backyard and picking a perfect, sun-warmed apple from a tree you nurtured yourself. That tangible connection to the land and the deep satisfaction of growing your own food is at the heart of Orchard People. Hosted by fruit tree care educator Susan Poizner, this podcast digs into the practical and often surprising world of cultivating fruit trees, whether you have a few pots on a balcony or several acres to explore. Each episode feels like a thoughtful conversation with a knowledgeable friend, as Susan and her guests unpack the nuances of pruning for better harvests, managing pests without harsh chemicals, and understanding the life beneath our feet through soil health. You’ll hear from specialists on topics like grafting heirloom varieties, designing resilient food forests, and integrating permaculture principles into any space. It’s more than just tips and tricks; it’s about building confidence and community around sustainable growing. Tune in to this garden-focused podcast for grounded advice that helps both new and experienced growers foster healthier trees and more abundant yields, season after season.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Orchard People
Podcast Episodes
Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:44
There is a right way and a wrong way to water your fruit trees and other plants. And how you irrigate will affect the health of your plants and the quality of your harvest. Learn the science behind fruit tree irrigation…
Being a Tree Detective with Lindsay Mitchell and Sarah Ruark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Lindsay Mitchell, Editor at the International Society of Arboriculture's publication Arborist News and Sarah Ruark, technical advisor at the Davey Institute, the research arm of Davey Tree, talk about the Detective Dendr…
Food Forest Design with Lincoln Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:23
Lincoln Smith from Forested.us explains how listening to the landscape is the secret to growing healthy fruit trees and fruiting plants. Lincoln will talk about some of his top picks including persimmons, mulberries and…
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Duration: 1:00:27
Reagan Wytsalucy, Extension Assistant Professor, Agriculture & Natural Resources at Utah State University, talks about her journey to find the last orchards growing the age-old, drought resistant South West Peaches. And…
Custom Fruit Tree Spray Recipes with John Kempf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:06
Learn how to boost your tree's health with fruit tree foliar sprays that you can make at home from sugar, molasses, epsom salts...and Coca-cola? Our show guest is regenerative agriculture expert John Kempf of Advancing E…
Soil and Tissue Testing with Jack Legg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:17
Jack Legg, an agronomist from SGS Canada, talks about soil and tissue testing and how that can help ensure that your fruit trees and plants have the nutrients they need. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podc…
Growing Blueberries with Kathleen Demchak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:11
What is the secret of growing blueberries successfully? In this episode of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast we speak to Kathleen Demchak, Senior Extension Associate at Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences…