What is a Food Forest Garden?

A Food Forest Garden has a standard design covering 30 m2. It consists of 20 to 25 types of plants, shrubs and trees. All of them are partly or entirely edible. From almond trees to blackberry bushes and from lemon balm to violets. You can find edible leaves, fruits and flowers there. They are all perennial plants: plants that live for many years. This also makes a Food Forest Garden much easier to maintain than a vegetable garden. A Food Forest Garden forms a green oasis in a schoolyard. It is a wonderful place for butterflies, birds, bees, small mammals and people.

Children learn about food

In the Food Forest Garden, children learn about the growth of plant-based food, which parts of the plants you can eat, and what they taste and smell like. We create the garden on planting day. After planting day, IVN Overijssel gives a ‘grow-and-taste lesson’. You will also receive a teaching package for grades 1 through 8, making it easy to integrate the Food Forest Garden into your lessons. Children learn:

  • What a Food Forest Garden is and how to care for it.
  • About edible plants and the food cycle.
  • How to turn the harvest into a healthy dish.
  • Why the Food Forest Garden is good for nature, biodiversity, the climate and yourself!

Application requirements

Schools do not need to make a financial contribution to the Food Forest Garden. However, we do ask the school to meet the following requirements:

  • There is enough space for the garden in your schoolyard (at least 30 m2): the garden is 5.5 x 5.5 metres or 3 x 10 metres.
  • The site is sunny and there are no large trees nearby.
  • You will use the garden for nature and food education and integrate the Food Forest Garden into your curriculum.
  • The school will adopt and maintain the Food Forest Garden for at least 5 years.

Register

Next spring, we will plant one Food Forest Garden in Zwolle. If there is a lot of interest, we may expand the initiative. Can you picture a Food Forest Garden in your schoolyard? Then register here.

You can register until 31 December of this year. The Municipality of Zwolle and IVN Overijssel will then select the most suitable location. Among other things, they will consider the school's motivation and the practical feasibility at that location.

Questions?

Do you have questions or would you like more information? Visit www.ivn.nl/voedselbosjes. Or contact Maartje Langeslag, project manager at IVN Overijssel, via [email protected].

Photo credit: Fos Fotografie.