Polycultures are seen as a key aspect of permaculture theory and practice. They are also often advocated as an agroecological practice, yet there is very little published research about polyculture practice comprising more than three species, especially in temperate climates.

The workshop is an opportunity to discuss ways of building on the current collaboration between Plants For A Future (PFAF) and the Permaculture Association. We will discuss how the wider international Permaculture movement (and the Transition movement, which has many similar aims) can best take advantage of the information in PFAF’s Plants database and connect with its worldwide user community of gardeners and specialist growers.

When I take people foraging, I have two principles that I hope to inspire them with: That there is food everywhere we go and there is food every day of the year.

In the forest gardens we pick at least 40 different plants everyday of the year for a soup or a salad, in the early summer it can double to over 80.