Southern NB and other cold climate permies

Hi All,

I've recently purchased property (deal just closed!) in Southern New Brunswick (Zone 5a/b). I'm looking for examples of other folks who have planted food forests in similar climates (so far I've seen Trevor Philps on here and found the website for the Falls Brooks Centre in Knowlesville NB but I'm interested in seeing as many examples as I can.

I'm hoping to learn what kinds of crops/trees/etc people are planting in their food forests and kitchen gardens and how people are integrating greenhouses into their systems. How are our winters affecting you and your crops and how do you mitigate those affects? How and what are you storing during the winter? My Family has been in the atlantic provinces since long before the world wars and the industrialization of this part of the world so I'm familiar with what they would have done, but they weren't cultivating 'food forests' exactly.

Regarding food forests I'm interested in examples of food forests being created out of what is already healthy woodland...which is what my property is. Most of the stuff I've seen assumes a certain amount of rehabilitation of former monoculture farming or pasture OR at least has large cleared areas (Geoff Lawton for example). I have NO cleared space except a few small meadows and wetlands and would love to know how others with similar properties proceeded with transforming it into a productive and abundant food forest.

I'm fairly new to this whole idea of permaculture though not to rural life, hunting/fishing, off grid living and low tech systems. I am not a gardener...yet...and this is where I'm hoping to get some advice and see some examples.

Aquaculture in our cold climate anyone?

I thought I'd start here since much of this is a call for regional examples BUT i will be reposting some of my specific questions from in here, onto their appropriate forums..Somebody tell me if that's a superfluous cross post and should be avoided.

THANKS!!!
j

Hi jay,
Congrats. On getting your land! It's definitely possible to do small scale aquaculture where you are. Im not too far from you, just outside Moncton, and I have trout in my garage. They love the cold water, warm water is the bigger issue. I watch water temps., every few days I take a couple pails of water from the tank to water the veggie patch and replace it with cold well water. I have done some small aquaponic set ups in the past and plan to again in the future, as I had good plant growth.

I also have a few acres of woodland that I got last year. I plan on doing some selective cutting to let a little light in and create small clearing but that's all still on paper atm. Good luck and keep us updated.

So how has the adventure progressed in the past 15 months? Planted trees or harvested any tasty veggies this year?

How's progress? NOT FAST ENOUGH! In fact, its at a stand still if you judge but the action on the land...the advantage to the slow progress has meant more chances to see the spot in different seasons, more research, more observation without direct action. I continue to save toward the road fund, which is reaching a useful sum, and envision the possibilities for the first steps beyond that.

So for the moment I'm still stuck to city life as my partner negotiates a career change that will in fact be perfect once we hit NB in a permanent way. She's taking advantage of the cheap/free vocational training here in Quebec while I save, and continue to learn. I did the Whole Systems Design PDC this summer, which was very enriching and continue to diversify my own career work. Its a challenge in my city situation to really employ permaculture in the way that I'd like, but its forced me to try things that I maybe wouldn't have tried otherwise...again creating great learning experiences but nothing to speak of at the site of the future homestead as yet. I will be quite disappointed if I don't manage to get a road in this summer, but I believe I can make it come together. I have an excellent community of family and friends excited to break out the shovels and chainsaws and lend a hand.

thanks for asking - next time I post I intend to have something more to show for myself!

I see, Jay, that you were posting as recently as 2 years ago. How's the plan a' percolating?

Welp - just lost a little novel I had written in response. will try to recap more quickly.

1) thanks for asking ! Also, what are you up to in the area?

2) I am not active on here at all anymore, maybe because every time I go to post I lose it all before hitting submit. But truth told..

Things are moving right along. After some years feeling like they were at a bit of a standstill.

road - check. almost a full KM of it. Did 300m pretty DIY then work stuff changed (freelance to employee) and I had way less time. Ended up getting a team in to punch it in all at once. Its rough but it works (4wd required).

I hauled tons (literal) of locally milled non commercial lumber in my lil pickup down it not 2 weeks ago...because there is a cabin incoming. That will change things I think..being able to stay comfortably out there will allow us to spend more time advancing the project as a whole. I discuss the cabin parameters and design goals in another thread, also requiring updating.

I will likely have an Ex in there in the next couple weeks to do some roadwork (its very rough in places especially after the lumber hauling in wet conditions...and should be less so) and if I play my cards right dig pond #1 (of 3 to 4 that I want to installed).

The last few years have been tumultuous for most I'd say and certainly my situation keeps changing. Luckily lately the situation has become 2 months off my main job in summer opening up possibilities to take on bigger projects again. Hence, cabin. Finally. I'll also be throwing some trees in the ground this summer..mostly black walnuts.

There's a lot more to say, tbh.

I'm still in the city most of the time unfortunately but managed to get a garden plot a few years back which brings lots of joy, knowledge, and food. Its been great to learn.

I have planted hundreds of trees some on the property, some at my parents, my brothers who are not far from it, and others at a friend's in eastern quebec The idea being to spread the wealth, and also to retrieve some of the trees in a few years and transplant to the property. Certainly there's an orchard worth of apples I have planted at my folks to be transplanted.

I also enjoy wrenching on my old truck in a rented garage, now have my amateur radio license and am working on my firearms acquisition license. I may have too many hobbies and it may slow me down a bit !

Speaking of that I probably mention in other threads but.. I have done all of this the hard way. Its been slow, relatively cheap considering the scale, but slow. Decisions I've made and obsession with DIY made things slower. Sometimes I regret some of these decisions when I realize I could be 5 years further along...but mostly I roll with it and enjoy the journey. A large patch of beautiful forest that was pasture 50-75 years ago is a lot harder to work with than an old field with some hawthorns and spruce popping up. Its a big year though and hope that it represents a tipping point for livability and therefore time spent on the land.

how about you fellow NB people? What are you doing and hows it going?

j