A couple of days ago I took a walk around my five-year-old front-yard food forest with my camera so I could share the abundance with you:
This is at least the third tour video I’ve done… but what I didn’t mention in this video is that I’ll be listing my property for sale this next week.
After five years creating one of the best-looking food forests in the state (and documenting it), I am ready to take on another challenge: I’ve got a chance to move further south and create a tropical food forest (and research tropical agriculture for an upcoming book), so I’m doing it.
My house is an 1800 ft2 site-built 4/2 with a good-sized barn out back, three hot tub ponds with aquatic plants, 8 mature muscadine grape vines, about 100 fruit trees, rich soil, good garden beds in the back and a bazillion species of edible, medicinal and useful plants.
Bonus: I live in the country and it’s zoned A1, so you can do just about anything without a permit and with no neighborhood association. The neighbors are friendly and quiet, half the neighborhood is still forest and I’m within 25 minutes of Ocala and 35 minutes of Gainesville. The property is just slightly larger than an acre and with our mild climate, that’s more than enough to feed yourself. There’s still at least 1/10 acre of mostly unused yard out back full of cassava that I’ve barely touched… and we already grow all our own vegetables with the exception of a few roots.
I’m not exactly sure what I’m listing the house for yet (the agent will come on Monday), but it’s really a fantastic place for anyone who wants a ready-to-go food forest. I’ll even offer ongoing technical support on the plants to whoever buys it. I want a gardener to have this place – not someone who will chop down the fruit trees and install a lawn. Over the next few years it’s going to get more and more productive.
Let me know if you’re interested – I have a few folks who are already talking to me about it.
Right now I’ve got my eyes on the next project and want to sell quickly so I can get moving. I’m eager to start my new research… and, of course, I’ll be documenting my progress on the new site as I go and sharing it with you here.
Enjoy the tour – I’ve had a lot of fun over the last half-decade and I hope someone will pick up where I’ve left off.
15 responses to “Food Forest Tour… and an Announcement”
Found your blog about 3 months ago and have enjoyed it, the videos and your books. However, I’m really looking forward to your moving further south. I live in Charlotte county and my growing conditions are very, very different than what you currently have. It’s been hard to find information that applies to my growing conditions, especially since I live in a community with rather strict HOA rules. Good luck selling and looking forward to your new research.
Congrats on your new venture! Our family has just moved and we are really happy with our new digs. I hope your family will be,too.
whoever buys your place is going to be one lucky dog..
I’ve really learned a lot from you blog. Not sure how much I’ll get from your “tropical food forest” efforts, but I will certainly continue reading.
Congratulations! I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now, and have learned a lot. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about gardening farther south.
I am sad you’re leaving but hope that you end up someplace I visit regularly!
I’m looking forward to reading more about the tropical gardening adventure before you. Hope your home sells quickly.
Thank you, Herrick.
I am sad your leaving the area! I appreciate what you have done an wish you luck on the new adventure! Keep on posting!
Thank you, Annie.
Any hints as to where you’re moving? Besides “further south”?
Not yet – working on nailing down the location.
Glad to see you’re moving south! As you know, I’m in Cape Coral, but soon moving about an hour east to farm country. Oh, also, your seeds will be in the mail tomorrow…and thank you for all the hard work you do to educate us because there will be hard times ahead and we need to spread the word so everyone can have some food growing on their property God forbid the worst happens.
Thank you. I agree – now is the time to get out of the city and grow all you can.
Wow it takes a great deal of faith that God is leading you to put your property for sale without having a location nailed down. Good luck with all and looking forward to learning about your new venture. I am also starting to look for somewhere south that I can live in more than my postage stamp sized yard. Best of luck.
It’s much more fun than having a full plan – and yes, faith definitely plays a big part. I’ve jumped careers and houses quite a few times. After a while, the fear leaves and it just turns into adventure.