Patterned Agroforestry

   Patterned agroforestry seeks to balance complex species arrangements with an organized structure.  The goal is to maintain diversity and ecological functions while streamlining harvest and maintenance.  

    When planting trees we are designing an ecosystem, not a factory. The alternative relies on the heavy use of industrial input to maintain production. With thoughtful design and human participation in a complex ecology we can grow fertility in place, build soil, and create resilient and productive food systems

    Each pattern is a repeated arragement of plant species.  They will vary in complexity depending on goals, context, and species.  They are not a strict protocol but an adaptable framework.  They are a recipe with a variety of components to help reach a particular goal.  

    Bellow is an illustration of an orchard pattern I named PAW.  It stands for Pear, Apple, Whatever, referencing the three alternating fruit production trees.  It is my preferred temperate climate arrangement when working with pest and disease prone species. The rows are oriented on a keyline pattern or from north to south.