Permaculture Prepping - Cold Climate Food Forest on the prairies
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Arkopia's Food Forest was started roughly 7 years ago with the planting of our first Apple Tree, and has been a work in progress ever since. Always adding while we constantly maintain everything.
Saskatchewan, Canada
Zone 3 Gardening
Latitude 53
Like, Comment, Subscribe and follow Arkopia. Our website is www.arkopia.ca We are the inventors of the Best Selling Smoothie on amazon: Arkopia Freeze Dried Smoothies. We are also a small, multifaceted farm located in Saskatchewan, Canada where we offer our immediate community flowers and food, direct to customers.
-
Intro Song is my rendition of Corb Lund - Getting Down on the Mountain.
-
Music: Summer Green [Original Mix] by Imperss Music is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
creativecommon....
Support by RFM - NCM: bit.ly/2xGHypM
-
I'm so glad that Nate at Canadian Prepper had you on, otherwise I might never have known about your channel - which I like a lot.
Same👍
I've heard it said that every small farm back in the day used to have a small apple orchard not because everyone loved eating apples so much, really a mature tree or two could keep a family in apples, but for the surplus of apples that could be distilled into vinegar which could then be used to preserve even more crops. That was a main reason for having a small apple orchard on every family farm.
Love it. Didn’t know that
And I'm sure they made a fair amount of hard cider, too!
I was all excited this spring, went looking for a plum tree in Lloyd this spring, found the plum tree, along with a couple apricot trees rated for -40, and found an apple tree rated for -50. I figure if nothing else survives the winter, that apple tree should. 😂 I now have a couple different types of plum, a couple apricot, and four different types of apples.
Excellent. 👊🙏✌️
Nicely done in a challenging climate. Great to see fruit growing pushed at the limits. Dang you’ve got purple martins as well.
I love what you are doing. Thanks Nate for telling about your channel. You remind me to Sepp Holzer. In 1962 he started a permaculture farm, the Krameterhof, in Austria, Alps, at high altitude, about 3.300 to 4.900 ft. Cold and rough climate. He worked with so called suntraps and ponds to make it warmer. He grew lemons there. In his early days he was threatened with prison because he did everything against the standart rules of farming. He's called rebell in permaculture. This were the 1960 years.
I guess you know about his work, if not: internet is telling you almost everything.
I have no farm, just a garden 500qm. So I had to "translate" permaculture principles into a small area. It was a process of trying and error, but in the end it worked.
You can think bigger and I want you to keep on. People like you are our last big hope.
Thanks so much for that. Appreciate it very much. 🙏✌️
This is an amazing food forest! I can picture it in 10 years, with the kids climbing up the apple trees and the kitchen working full time to put up all this food! It's so well done!
The bales for shelter early on is a great idea, with future mulch already in place. Going to be a lovely orchard space one day soon. Thanks for the tour!
Remember to let us see this in a few years.
I think it will turn out awesome.
Keep growing man.🙂👍
The dandelions attract bees, aka pollenators, so you want to keep them around.
That opening song is by Corb Lund "Gettin' down on the mountain"
It’s a good one. 👍🏻
So, regarding apricots - I have 2: Morden 604 and a "Scout". I find the Scout produces much bigger fruit and more in abundance. The 604 has survived 22 years so far but is on its last years....life expectancy is usually 15 to 20, so I'm fortunate. It's probably going to be uprooted next spring. The key is letting in air, cutting off the suckers that grow regardless of what you want. I prune about 4 branches in very early Spring just before the flower buds start to swell. This tells the tree it's time to boogie. I then prune in mid-to late September after fruit picking about 1/3 of the tree branches. Key is to have good circulation and sunlight.
And about the dandelions......they are trying to tell you something - your soil lacks calcium. Remedy that and you will see them start to disappear. They also help to break open clusters of clay and lighten the compact soil. It also is trying to reintroduce microbes in the soil that trap oxygen. They are also advising you there's an abundance of nitrates in your soil and if the word is confusing this ought to clear it up - too acidic. I don't see much shade where you are but they often grow in dappled sunlight because they're a spring flower. Of course, you can harvest the leaves before the plant blooms to collect calcium and vitamin A rich salad leaves or scatter yellow dandelion flowers in your salads. They are a perennial and pulling them up will compound the problem of compact soil. If you don't like the flowers, cut them off and discard them, cut the leaves but put them on the soil surface and they'll set calcium into the top layer of soil. When a dandelion root is very long it means that the calcium it is very deep in the soil and the plant has to burrow and screw down to find it to bring it to the surface.
Great tips. Thanks so much. 🙏 I didn’t know about a calcium deficiency. We have our well water in drip lines, and it is very hard water, so I wonder if it could be something else. We sure can grow some monster and healthy dandelions😂. The roots aren’t particularly deep, and they are very easy to pull. I essentially ran a mower in there quick the other day before anything was close to going to seed. Our thistles are more abundant than the dandelions. A lot of it is just being in the open and having the wind seeding the orchard unfortunately. Lots to do and learn. Thanks again. 🙏✌️
Lots of plants I mean a real forest of food, I'm working in my little garden and salad is almost ready 😋....but your space is more biggest then my👍😢👋
Think about drying apples, they are really delicious and can be stored for years. They get not really hard but leather like.
Look out for storage apples "Lagerapfel". They have thick waxy skin, some will be sour when picked but get sweet over the winter.
There are pear varieties that can be stored over a winter. They are harder and more fiberes but very good for cooking with it.
If plums survive look if you can get "Mirabelle". It is a very robust tree. The fruit more firm than plums and the skin is lighter in color and a little sour.
Then there are "Reineclauden" They need more care and may not survive your climate.
Take the flowers of the dandelion cook them and boil it down the exact with brown sugar. This "dandelion syrup" is really delicious. We make it every three years.
I’ll look into all of that. Thanks very much. 🙏✌️
Have you heard on UA-cam The Permaculture Orchard by Stefan Kobhowick (not sure of spelling). He farms in Quebec and has very difficult soil and weather conditions. He teaches well and sideline tips on weeds.
Haven’t heard of it. Thanks. 🙏✌️
I really like what you are doing, and this video has a ton of useful info. Thanks for sharing and wish you guys all the best.
Where I'm from on the coast in Anchorage, Alaska apple trees do just fine but you can't get apples off of them. While the winter is more mild only getting to -40 it's also just as long but the summer gets more cloud cover and less heat so it's harder to actually get any yield from corn or squash or fruit trees.
I didn’t know that. I guess at least where I’m at we get lots of sun ☀️
Just seen this, after your production 2 years ago of this video. Amazing! Would love to see an update! I am also in zone 2, Northeastern Ontario, 50 km north of Timmins ON. We have a VERY similar climate as northern Saskatchewan/Manitoba, and also heavy clay soils, and even Sharp tailed grouse and sand hill cranes! We are in "The Great Clay Belt" of Northern Ontario. I had started several smaller food forest plots as an experiment about 10 years ago, and continue to add and expand them. Using almost all the same species you have, but I was lucky enough to get a super hardy grape that produces small dark purple grapes that taste great! My pears and apricots struggle here because of fire blight which is endemic in our region, but cherries and blight resistant apples are doing awesome! Drought conditions here this year, with temperatures in the mid 30's and no rain for over one month. But; an amazing sea buckthorn, haskap, cherry and apple harvest!! Love the products from U of S!! I had met Dr. Bors who developed the haskaps we all now enjoy, what an interesting and knowledgeable character! Thanks for your video, too bad it took me two years to find it! LOL
Cheers!
I love seeing this as I felt alone in sask starting a food forest going on my 4h year
Thanks for your forward thinking. Interesting with the bales on the north side. Where I garden neighbours race to find any load of wood chips that can be delivered
I havent had a pear literally in years and recently my wife brought a bag from Costco - and I cored them and threw them into the freeze dryer......since then Ive done a couple of bags. Love the freeze dried version - I assume you have personal one if not give Nate a call he has a few in stock - :)
Freeze dried pears are great. 👍🏻
I have a similar growing season and soil type, but our summers aren't as warm so that adds additional challenge for growing food. Slightly milder winters though, so some benefit there if it's something that can ripen without as much warmth. I'm working hard on increasing my perennials every year, but it's a slow process. Currently have apples (might not get any fruit though, we'll see ), raspberries, gooseberries (have died back both winters), strawberries, Caucasian mountain spinach. Am attempting to add asparagus, walking onions, comfrey, currants, and possibly haskap this year. Thanks for the tour!
I've always wanted to buy a quarter somewhere in the parkland of Sackscratchewan and do something like this. Life took me another direction. I have a lot in a city in southern Alberta, where I've planted a bunch of fruit trees and have a garden. Good job on the food forest and thanks for sharing.
I planted strawberries right in my food forest so that they would act as a ground cover and suppress the weeds. It is working like a charm. I think if you planted things like mint, that would work well, too. The strawberries are growing all through my asparagus and they don't inhibit them from growing but keep any deep-rooted grassy weeds at bay. I am using lingonberries in the same way. Do you add biochar or other soil amendments like chopped up leaves? I watch a lot of "Canadian Permaculture Legacy" videos and have learned so much. For the first time this past year, I mulched up tons of leaves and covered my vegetable garden with them. I also added activated biochar and had the best garden ever!
Also, I'm impressed by all of the hay bales; have you thought about sprinkling some wine cap mushroom spawn? That would be an excellent crop for you, I would think. I just stumbled across North Spore last year, but I'm sure that there are lots of Canadian companies, too, that would sell you mushroom spore/spawn. I can't wait until spring to go out and harvest some. I got the spawn in the summer, but didn't get to prepping the bed until late fall. Once you have some, you can use old mushrooms to spread spores and start all sorts of new mushroom patches. I got myself a freeze dryer to keep up with all of the produce I know will be coming in. It's all very exciting! I'm envisioning asparagus and mushroom soups and quiches followed by persimmon pudding. Yum!
So many great ideas. Out in the open, my problem is some foxtails, grasses, and Russian thistle blowing in. Then it seems to catch on the perennials like chives and onions, then grows thistles. I need shelter around the food forest, so continuing to plant shelter belt trees. Will all be nice in 30 years. 😂
Yes there's a guy down the road here that has been growing hazelnuts -- the place is for sale near BC
We have wild Chock cherry and Saskatoons however last year we got virtually no fruit -- heat and blight ... this year will hopefully be better
Thank you for your video I appreciate that you're showing how to grow your own food in Candanvia :)
That's so funny that as I was researching permaculture I started to wonder if there was any done in temperate climates, the first video I stumble across is about the same location as me in sask 😂 really brilliant, hopefully I can get a start on growing my own crop
Nice set up.
Great work your always hard at it .. hat off to you 👍the trees look strong and healthy and wood chipping that soil will definitely create very fertile soil .. I saw on a tv show called homestead rescue them make hugelkulture beds in ditches to create a similar sheltered bed from the wind also very fertile … I was wondering do you get comfrey there ? We use it as a free fertiliser here in Wales it grows as a weed and we mix it with nettles and get a few bags of seaweed from the coast put it in a mesh bag and it creates a tea fertiliser just wondering if you have a different version over there 🤔 great videos everything is coming together that your doing it will be great to look back at all this footage one day I’m sure look forward to the next one 👍
Mostly we will use composted manure for our fertilizer. Weed scraps to the animals, clean out the barn, put in a big pile and turn it every so often. I do fertilize fruit trees in the spring with a purchased fertilizer. I’ll look into comfrey; sounds great. I am most looking forward to doing fish in the greenhouse, and using that for fertilizer. Thank you.
@@ArkopiaUA-cam looking forward to seeing that 👍 sounds great using fish
Very nicely done. Keep up the good work. Would you be able to do a video showcasing your shelter belt as well? There is nothing better than planting a tree.
Will do
Beautiful you future will be rich. My zone 3 buddy in Ontario says he has a yellow plumb that does well and tastes pretty good.
I would not say growing is easier in Alaska. I live on the coast in southeast Alaska. Not only is it cold, it's very very wet. 15 ft of rain a year. I have a lot of challenges but I keep trying.
this is a great Idea. I recenly bought 5.66 acres of land and it only has a big barn and a shed and I would like to do something like this. I am located in Regina.
I am coming to saskatoon soon. Is there a chance I can tour your food forest?
I believe you need at least 2 pear trees pollenate each other. If you only have one you may not get pears. I love upside down pear cake. I have about 12 trees. Each variety ripens at a different time beginning in late July right through to the end of October.
What are the varieties of pears you like best? And what zone are you in?
Really nice the way you planted everything ! I like the view from the sky ! 👌
My family loves your smoothies
Thank so much. 🙏
@@ArkopiaUA-cam we need more and now that we have moved to Saskatchewan it should be easier the last batch we had we found in a hunting store in Ontario
@@suzanneeckstein13 Awesome. Quinn the Eskimo in Saskatoon carries them (great outdoor and camping store)
Epic
Check out Rossdale Farms from Mannville Alberta. She has a 104,000 sq ft garden that she cares for by herself. She does old straw mulch. She would be interested in your greenhouse too. Thanks so much for doing these videos. Love all the content.
Old straw mulch is the best. 👍
I little nugget. I found out you can eat Hostas!!
Great video! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful food forest!
One question..what is the purpose of all the hay bayle's
A bit of shelter starting baby trees. 👍
@@ArkopiaUA-cam
Brilliant!! Thanks again!
You can try using white clover as a cover crop to control weeds and fix nitrogen.
I planted yellow clover for 6 years in the large fields. It does very well, but did get almost 6ft high in places.
@@ArkopiaUA-cam Wow yeah, that's mighty tall, so maybe more trouble than it's worth for the purpose of controlling weeds. White clover is better in that respect that it doesn't grow very tall. I am reminded of the work of the Japanese natural farmer Masanobu Fukuoka who in his works described growing a selection of vegetables between citrus trees while using white clover as a cover crop. He'd encase the mixed seeds in clay pellets and just toss them to germinate between the trees, called it the "do-nothing farming", if memory serves. I don't own property, so I haven't had the opportunity to test all his ideas in practice, and while the growing conditions in southern Japan are more ideal than in many other places, the principle probably stands. At any rate, some food for thought, since Fukuoka's system is, in essence, a food forest type of system.
Dandelions are a crop, and an indicator of soil quality. In autumn, are you putting a thick layer of mulch on and around your trees and shrubs when they're young? Burlap would help too.
I put mulch whenever I can get it. 🙂
@@ArkopiaUA-cam Apparently, I shouldn't be surprised. :) Have you tried growing garlic? Mine's up to 2' tall and having a great time. We've had a pretty good spring.
@@thenextpoetician6328 I freeze dried a crazy amount of it years ago when we grew it. Just have a little in the greenhouse as a test. About 2ft high outside already? That’s amazing.👍✌️
@@ArkopiaUA-cam It comes from a 30 years organic farm in the Eastern Townships of Québec 10 minutes from where I lived. It's happy to be in the Laurentians now. :)
One thing I haven't tried yet - Painting rocks to look like strawberries. The birds peck at them & get trained not to go after real strawberries.
Or, it trains them to peck real strawberries maybe. With my luck. 😂
June 7, Central Alberta and I'm nowhere near wearing a tank top... lol
Might just be me. All winter long too. 😂
You are doing a lot of good work here, however, as a permaculturist, I can see that there is one major error to your food forest plan. You should plant at least as many perennial support species as food producing species of plants. Nitrogen fixing species are particularly important for building soil health. There are many N fixing trees, shrubs, and non woody plants that would do well where you live. Even non food, non N fixing plants of a wide variety will provide food for the soil food web via their roots and composting top growth that dies back in the winter. A wide variety of support species will also provide food for a wide variety of beneficial insects and birds. I would also suggest that you plant things much closer together. You do not need to leave space for heavy machinery to maneuver. The traditional spacing recommendations are based on machinery requirement, not plant health. Plants prefer closer spacing where their roots can comingle, and fungal hyphae can connect plant roots with each other. This is how a natural forest works and thrives.
Noticed you have straw or hay bales around. Is that for near berries or young trees to protect during winter, wind break,compost etc.... also noticed you have wood chips too...is that kind of like the "back to Eden gardening method? Trying to start a food forest in Southern Idaho and it is really hard to find resources on how to do it. LOVE your greenhouse too...would LOVE ONE OF THOSE!
I put a bale on the north side of baby trees to help them get started, and have now just used as mulch. Wood chips are breaking down making some serious good soil. Heavy mulch is great for food forests.
@@ArkopiaUA-cam thank you for the info.. probably what we need to do with the wood chips then...hope to have things put in this May...right now it still gets to 30 at night...though60 in the day... Thanks again :)
They say dandelions are #good for the soil😊
Dandelions are great really. Healthy, edible, for the bees, for the soil. 👍
Did you know you can grow hosta and use them as asparges?
Great video, thanks for sharing. You mentioned late and early frosts, how you prevent drip lines from freezing?
In the fall, I hook up my giant shop air compressor, and spend an afternoon blowing out all the lines. 👍🏻
@@ArkopiaUA-cam Thanks!
Do you know if swales work in Saskatchewan to help hold water? It's been so dry the last couple of years.
Swales work everywhere. Nice to make them in the drought for when it gets back to average or wetter than average. Then the next drought won’t be as bad.
We’re do you buy all your fruit trees and all the citrus varieties
Surprisingly almost everything was from local sources. For both out outside orchards, and our indoor citrus greenhouse plants like bananas and oranges and figs (local retail greenhouses brought them in). We did order the odd citrus from a few greenhouses across Canada. It’s very seasonal and just have to watch during the growing season. ✌️
What nurseries do you buy your bare root trees from?
For fruit, many were purchase from the U of S spring sale. Other local marketplace ads for some. Even have some hardi Mac apples from Canadian Tire that are doing great. ✌️
That kiwi wont produce anything unless you get it a mate. They need male/female pairs.
Ya, gotta grab more and hopefully they’ll survive.
@@ArkopiaUA-cam I keep killing mine, so I have nothing to offer. 😂🤷♀️
@@janibgood Finicky little things. Can’t keep a grape alive for the life of me either.
What type of apple trees do you have
And where can one get them
Hardi Mac, Prairie Sensation, Autumn Delight, Misty Rose, Parkland, etc. all great for my harsh climate, and all large, sweet “eating” apples. U of S sells little ones some years. Keep an eye out. ✌️
Do you grow seaberry (seabuckthorn)?
2000 ft row, 3 ft apart, in front shelter belt. They’re about 4ft high. More older ones in a belt out back. A very healthy berry. 👍✌️
Do you have trouble with deer?
Occasionally. Everything is close in the yard, so it’s rare they come in that close.
@@ArkopiaUA-cam I think I live east of you. After your video with Nate I figured it out. I have trouble with white tail deer in the apple trees. They take a bite out of an apple drop it then get another. Any ideas how to stop this
@@TheSaskachewan1 I guess the answer is higher fencing and a good dog in the yard. An apple tree is kind of a homing beacon for deer I think. It’s been a couple years since I had deer issues. 👍✌️
Where is Saskatchewan are you?
Central, Saskatoon area
who to sell it to?
You need more than this just to feed your family.
You only own the one shirt, do ya?
Haha. I recently bought 14 of the exact same shirts. I am what I am. 🤷🏻♂️
Love Corb, but your not, I appreciate the intro. comment in the first minutes. Thank you.