2015/16 Winter Read-along: Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier

Last year's read-along of Permaculture: a Designer's Manual was a great success so I volunteered to spearhead another for 2015. After consulting with Burra, the book we chose for 2015 is Edible Forest Gardens (Volume 1) by Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier. Our thought is try something new for 2015 and to revisit the PDM in 2016.

How does it work? Like last year, we will start after January 1 (start date will be January 4), so you can put the book on your holiday wish lists now. We read a section a week. Burra will create the threads for each section where we can discuss what we've read. The threads will stay open forever, so new readers can revisit and add to them at any time. We might have a "catch-up" week or two. At the end of the read-along we will open a thread to do your victory dance and summation. Having read both this and the PDM, I can say that Edible Forest Gardens is a thought-provoking read but not nearly as taxing.

This book isn't cheap, and many find Volume 2 to be at least as useful as Volume 1. You can often get the two volume set at a discount. Paul has a link to it on his book list and there's another link to buy on the thread above. But you don't have to get both; we are doing a manageable time commitment of just Volume 1. If there is enthusiasm to carry on with Volume 2, we can decide that near the end of Volume 1. I did see some discounted prices for used copies on Amazon. Consider that you can always resell the book if the price doesn't fit your budget. And there's always the library.

Another caveat: the book is US temperate climate-centric and doesn't have a lot of specifics to offer for those in the tropics or my intermountain neck of the woods, but the discussion of how to go about designing a food forest are translatable to any climate. In some ways it takes a more applied approach than the PDM. The case studies alone are worth the read. Eric Toenmeier has extended the plant lists on his website to a couple other regions; we can use that to augment our discussions.

So with Black Friday, plaid Saturday and cyber Monday fast approaching, you can tell your loved ones who do not wish to buy you that humanure book, a fermentation crock or the compost fork of your dreams to get you this instead. Or gift it to yourself!

This will be fun, if we make it so. See you in January with notepad and highlighter in hand.

PS, if you are plugging away at the PDM, do keep those threads alive and take your victory lap.

ETA the start date of January 4.

It's going to be really boring having a hand puppet convo with myself. Anyone else going to join me?

Well I've just found out that a certain Eric Toensmeier might be popping over to join in the discussions....

Burra Maluca wrote:Well I've just found out that a certain Eric Toensmeier might be popping over to join in the discussions....

That would certainly make the read along and the thread much more vibrant.
How often do you get to read a book with the author watching over your shoulder?

I'm in. I read it over the summer, and I will re-read in order to keep up. I really hope we can do vol. II as well, since I didn't get through it yet.

I'm in. The family was asking for gift suggestions earlier today.

I'm actually reading it now, but I hope to participate in the threads once they get rolling.

I would like to join in the reading. Will I get a specific, individual email about
what to do and when or stay tuned here for directions? Thanks for putting this together.

I'm in. I'm already on volume 2 but a reread with other people will be great.

This sounds like a great idea. I'll have to see if i get the book 1st. We tried a book club with our Permie group here in Vegas but it never caught fire ... what a great way to learn !!

Ann McGinley wrote:I would like to join in the reading. Will I get a specific, individual email about
what to do and when or stay tuned here for directions? Thanks for putting this together.

Stay tuned!

I would also like to join the book read along.

The books are great. I don't know how to tell everyone how much they have given me in terms of knowhow and food for thought for my future designs.

I'm in, its a book I've had for a long time, and only read bits of here and there, life is busy. So, this will be a great opportunity to enjoy it from beginning to end.
Thanks for setting this up!
Barbara

For those of you who want to participate but don't yet have the book - the publisher, Chelsea Green, is having and end-of-the-year sale right now through December 31st. All books are 35% off and there is free shipping on orders over $100.

The books are sold individually or as a set.

Hi everyone! I just picked up my books from the Post Office. It is tempting to crack them open before the group read begins, but I am resisting- too much on my to -do list right now. Can't wait until we start this!

I'm thankful my library has it! Woohoo!

The start date is going to be January 4. See you then, highlighter in hand.

This sounds like a good thing to do, and I've got the books, so hope to read along with you all.

Hi,

First post in the forums, though I've been lurking. This is definitely something I'm interested in. Great motivation to read it at a steady pace!
Looking forward to seeing the forum threads pop up!

C

Christian MacInnis wrote:Hi,

First post in the forums, though I've been lurking.!

Welcome Christian - great to have you!

Im in!
This timing coincides perfectly with the current progress on our property. I just cleared a large area of overgrown blackberry brambles, crowded alder saplings and underbrush to make room for the construction area of the house and the surrounding gardens. At its best the soil is very heavy, rocky clay and so I am starting from scratch to build the soils and plan the food forest! very excited to implement the PD principles from this book as well as a course I hope to take in the coming months.

I'm in too. I'm currently reading PDM and read Eric's Paradise Lot also a wonderful book.

Welcome to permies Joby and Andy!

Looking forward. Volume Two is much more directly relevant to other climates (design process is universal) but I'm continually surprised by people in tropics, cold deserts etc. who have found Volume One very useful. I was just reresaring some of it myself to as research for my new book, there is some pretty great stuff in there. Eric Toensmeier.

Two more weeks!!!

Shoot yeah I am in too..... I have been looking for a great reason to score the binding on this set for a year....

Lets do this i'm excited!!!

I'm in. I have been sitting on the books for a bit now, so this is good motivation.

I would like to follow the book club. Like Tom, I have had the book(s) for a while, and have only dipped into them lightly.

My body is ready.

Great to see so many people wanting to join in!

Over the next couple of days I'll try to organise myself (ha!) and get everything ready. Maybe a new forum to put all the posts in, and an index to keep track of all the new threads, and, um, whatever else we did last time that I've forgotten about already. And any new things that we haven't thought of yet that it turns out we need. But we'll muddle through somehow...

I'm kinda tagging along. I've already read the books (great, btw) and I'm planning on watching you peeps read it and then dip back into the book if I see something interesting come up.
This should be fun.
William

yah, I'll be tagging along. I have a couple other books in progress and a ton more (one of which is this one) on my stack of 'next'. I may be silently lurking company. Glad you have this going, it is great motivation.

How did I miss this thread??

Mine is on order (both books) - looking forward to it.

OK guys, I've created a whole new forum for the book study. Here's the link - https://permies.com/forums/f-183/

I've put up a sticky post with a list of the contents of volume one, which I will edit weekly to add links to the discussions of each chapter - https://permies.com/t/42843//Contents-Volume-Edible-Forest-Gardens

And I've opened this week's thread for chapter one - https://permies.com/t/42847//Volume-Introduction-Chapter-Forest-Trees

Enjoy!

Ooops - it seems there was a glitch setting the new forum up and most of you couldn't see it.

Are those links working for everyone now?

All the links work for me now. Thanks Burra,

The links are working for me as well. How long are we covering a chapter? A week?

Doug Barth wrote:The links are working for me as well. How long are we covering a chapter? A week?

That's the plan, though we might throw a few catch-up weeks in here and there if it looks like they're needed.

The thread for chapter 2 is open - https://permies.com/t/43117//Volume-Chapter-Visions-Paradise#338539

All the threads will stay open, so no worries if anyone is a bit late starting, just join in wherever feels appropriate.