Local health and wellness centre Clear Sky Retreat Centre is teaming up with nearby food advocacy organization Cranbrook Food Action, a program of Community Connections Society of Southeast BC, and Calgary-based permaculture design service ReGenerate Design to host an intensive two-day food forest education workshop.

A food forest is a gardening technique or land management system, which mimics a woodland ecosystem by substituting edible trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Fruit and nut trees make up the upper level, while berry shrubs, edible perennials and annuals make up the lower levels.

The trio has brought in cold climate food forest expert Richard Walker to instruct the course Food Forestry North of the 49th on Clear Sky’s one-acre food forest on September 23 and 24.

Richard Walker is a food forester, designer, herbalist and teacher with over 30 years experience. He has designed community and private forest gardens throughout BC. He spent his early years as an organic farmer in Alberta. He later moved to Grand Forks, B.C. where he spent 20 years transforming his three-acre property from a bare horse pasture into a lush self- sustaining forest garden with over 400 nut trees and seven storeys of food and medicine bearing perennial plants and vines.

Having converted a degraded piece of land into an abundant mix of rare, unique nut, fruit and medicinal plants from all over the world, he is one of Canada’s most experienced food foresters. Richard shares his studied and practical experience in a respectful and approachable manner to inspire grower enthusiasts and save many from years of trial and error. Richard has a great depth of herbal medicine knowledge and has developed herbal medicinal tinctures and teas for over 25 years and he shares his knowledge of plant biology to promote healthy living through the philosophy of food and herbs as medicine.

What really adds to Richard’s credibility is that he lives as he teaches. He lives simply, creatively using his skills to bring food from the soil to the table, and in doing so teaches us how food and plants create a culture of true sustainability.

“The collaboration with Clear Sky Retreat Centre and ReGenerate Design has been really valuable for us because we are able to showcase that sustainable food work creates industry connections and advocacy momentum. In what other sector will you see a meditation centre, a non-profit local food action organization, and a permaculture design firm teaming up to bring high level education to the people? It’s the type of collaboration that can result in significant change to the way we grow food in our region,” said Tanya Malcolm, Cranbrook Food Action Committee.

It is an exciting time to be learning about alternative food growing methods, and unique agricultural practices. Local food organizations, and food system experts have been advocating for a national food policy in Canada for decades, and the current government is committed to establishing the policy. Food forest education and permaculture practices are relevant skills to

learn and an integral conversation to keep energized during a time when local food systems are being evaluated, and government leaders are focused on this important work.

“Learning how to grow a food forest is about learning how to grow food, a team and a community. It’s enlivening, nourishing and much easier with others. It’s exciting for us to share during this workshop what we have learnt as well as some of the tasty jams and tea we are producing from our food forest which was planted as a demonstration model in 2013,” said Michelle Heinz, Clear Sky Retreat Centre’s Relationship Manager.

Clear Sky Retreat Centre is easily accessible for interested gardeners, farmers, municipal governments and staff and food system change-makers from anywhere in the Kootenay region as well for those further away via Canadian Rockies International Airport.

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