Can I design a food forest to tolerate or sustain pigs along with all the other food for for human consumption?
The answer may very well be RTFM with a link and that would be fine!
Additional info: I'll have about 1.5 acres for this project. The climate is Pacific Northwest - Oregon Willamette valley. Summers between 60 and 95. Winters rarely get below freezing. Snow is uncommon. the area has a gentle south/south east facing slope. Its triangle in shape.
Thanks to Paul, Geoff, and all the people that keep Permies running.
Edit: to be clear I have land and pigs. I have no food forest. I would like to design a foot forest that could offset my (human) food bill and the piggies' food bill. Currently on this 1.5 acres we run pig tractors and its just pasture. Low quality pasture at that.
To my understanding, yes you can, pigs like forest in the wild. Joel Saladin(spelling?) manages pigs in his lumber forest, as long as the trees are old enough to handle the pigs foraging I don't see any problems, a great way to keep an orchard clear of weeds maybe.
It might be better to keep them out until harvest time. That way you get to harvest and they get the leftovers. So maybe they just stay in there full time from late fall to early spring.
My project thread Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.
Perhaps setting up a paddock shit system starting with forage foods and nitrogen fixing trees. Build the soil first then after a while introduce some edible species for yourself (and the pigs). You'll just have to keep them away from the fruit trees when they are young. Maybe a guard around each tree or perhaps some sepp holzer bone sauce.
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