fruitful landscapes: the start of a food forest, with michael judd

THE TERM “food forest” from the permaculture world sounds big—like if I suggested you start one, you’d probably say, “I don’t have room for a forest of any kind.”

But today’s guest bets that most of us who garden have room for at least a little bit of fruity deliciousness in the form of a tree or two, underplanted with some carefully chosen companions. Maybe where a portion of the front lawn is right now, and maybe emphasizing native fruiting species.

Maryland-based Michael Judd is a longtime champion of edible landscaping, the author of various books, including “For the Love of Pawpaws” (affiliate link), and hosts an annual pawpaw festival each September. Lately he’s even the creator of a new app called Fruit Patch to help you get started on your own little food forest. (Above, flowers of one of Michael’s favorites, the pawpaw; photo by Jonathan Palmer, KYSU Land Grant Program.)

Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page to enter to win a copy of “For the Love of Pawpaws.”

Read along as you listen to the Aug. 14, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

Margaret: Is harvest time going on down there?

Michael: Oh, yes. Harvested a bunch of American elderberries and beach plums today with my little girl, and we’re going to make some popsicle juice out of it.

Margaret: I know, you make the most interesting recipes because of course elderberries, you don’t kind of take them off the plant and shove them in your mouth at most points in their ripeness. But yeah, you make syrups and juices and popsicles