What is this “Florida Food Forests?” It’s my brand-new plant nursery!

For the last year I’ve considered jumping into growing some of the hard-to-get edibles I love so much. People are always asking me about cassava, goumi berries, coffee plants, Florida cranberry, chaya, moringa and other cool and rare plants. I love building food forests… but getting the pieces is sometimes painful.

I’ve gathered some interesting varieties over the last few years, bit by bit, and learned to propagate them. A few different people told me I should make the jump and get licensed as a nursery.

That was easier said than done. I needed a new corporation, a nursery license, a sales-tax certificate from the state, a business checking account, checks, office supplies and an accountant to put everything together. Beyond that, I needed dirt, pots, labels, a propagation area, irrigation and all kinds of other fun stuff.

In the middle of unloading a trailer of potting soil… and loving every minute of it.

But now – it’s almost all together. And though I’m starting at the bottom of a hole, I think there’s enough demand for some of these plants that it will all be worthwhile. Even if I only break even, I’ll be happy. I know how hard I found it to get these species to begin with… having a place that sells the tough-to-find stuff is totally needed. And, since I couldn’t find anyone else doing it, I’m doing it myself.

Right now you can get in contact via e-mail if you’re looking for something hard-to-find. You can also make an appointment to visit my nursery space. Soon I’ll post a list of shows I’m going to attend – and we’ll probably be opening a booth at the Ocala Farmer’s Market this fall.

Here are a few plants I have in stock right now:

Cassava (potted): $6.00

Cassava (cuttings): $3.00 or 10 for $25.00

Aloe Vera (large pot): $15.00

Loquat, 3′: $10.00

Naranjilla: a strange edible.

Solanum quitoense (the naranjilla), small pot: $5.00

Sago palms (which are actually cycads), 2′ tall, large pot: $10.00

Pinecone ginger (edible and useful as lotion), large pot: $10.00

I’ve also put a little website together here: www.floridafoodforests.com

Let me know if you’re looking for something tough-to-find and I’ll put out feelers. As I grow the nursery, I’m going to add a lot more plants to my stock. Things are really simple right now – but more is coming, so stay tuned!

Speaking of nurseries, check out my how-to guide on starting home based nurseries.