The philosophy
Good questions. Before the spade.
Food forests are one expression of permaculture — a way of designing human systems to last, developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s. Here we use its three ethics and David Holmgren’s twelve design principles as a practical compass.
The three ethics
Where every design begins
Earth Care
Tend the living systems
Provision for all life systems to continue and thrive — soil, water, forests, and the web of creatures we depend on.
People Care
Meet human needs
Provision for people to access the resources they need for a decent, dignified existence — food, shelter, community, meaning.
Fair Share
Return the surplus
Set limits to consumption and redistribute surplus — of time, money, and harvest — back into caring for the earth and people.
The twelve principles
Twelve lenses for a good design
Holmgren paired each principle with a folk proverb. They aren't a checklist so much as ways of looking at a problem until a good design reveals itself.
Based on Holmgren’s design framework. These are design prompts, not proof that a particular technique will work.
- 1
Observe and interact
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Spend time watching your land — sun, wind, water, wildlife — before you design or plant.
On your patchWhere does water linger after rain?
- 2
Catch and store energy
“Make hay while the sun shines.”
Capture resources when they are abundant — rainwater, sunlight, biomass, fertility — for the lean times.
On your patchWhat useful material already arrives here?
- 3
Obtain a yield
“You can't work on an empty stomach.”
Design for real, useful rewards. A system has to feed the people tending it.
On your patchWhat would you actually enjoy harvesting?
- 4
Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
“The sins of the fathers are visited unto the children of the seventh generation.”
Discourage what harms the system and listen to feedback so it keeps functioning well.
On your patchWhich plant is telling you the design needs to change?
- 5
Use and value renewable resources
“Let nature take its course.”
Favour renewable inputs and natural services over consuming finite resources.
On your patchCan leaves or prunings serve a useful purpose here?
- 6
Produce no waste
“Waste not, want not. A stitch in time saves nine.”
Value and reuse every output — one element’s waste is another’s food.
On your patchCan a by-product become a resource safely?
- 7
Design from patterns to details
“Can't see the forest for the trees.”
Start with the big patterns of your site, then fill in the specifics.
On your patchWhere do light, paths and water need to go first?
- 8
Integrate rather than segregate
“Many hands make light work.”
Place elements so beneficial relationships form between them — the right connections do the work.
On your patchWhich neighbours have compatible needs?
- 9
Use small and slow solutions
“Slow and steady wins the race.”
Small, slow systems are easier to maintain, use local resources, and produce more lasting results.
On your patchWhat can you realistically tend this season?
- 10
Use and value diversity
“Don't put all your eggs in one basket.”
Diversity reduces vulnerability and opens the system to a wealth of possibilities.
On your patchWhat happens if your main crop fails?
- 11
Use edges and value the marginal
“Don't think you are on the right track just because it's a well-beaten path.”
The most productive, interesting things happen at the edges between systems.
On your patchWhich existing edge already supports useful life?
- 12
Creatively use and respond to change
“Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be.”
Observe, then intervene at the right moment to shape inevitable change for the better.
On your patchWhat will this patch look like when the trees are grown?
Principles into practice
The clearest way to feel these ideas is to plant them. Start with a single guild and watch the principles come alive.