Diversity and the importance of tree guilds with Brock Barker from “The Brockoli Patch” farm: 034

This week's interview is with a good personal friend of mine who is an awesome farmer and experimenter with plants, especially trees. I first met Brock Barker through some mutual friends when he came down here to Lake Atitlan to co-teach on a PDC with some colleagues of mine. Now Brock is the founder and owner of “The Brockoli Patch,” a permaculture farm and orchard outside of Lafayete, Louisiana on which manages an incredibly diverse and productive landscape. In this interview Brock talks about how taking a permaculture course with the Bullock brothers in Washington state and seeing a mature permaculture system for the first time changed his perspective and way of doing things on his own farm which was originally a market gardening operation. He goes into detail about the fruit tree guilds that keep his perennials strong and healthy, and shares some wisdom from his experiences, trials and errors over the years. This is a really relate-able conversation with tons of great tips for people who are just getting started For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: The Brockoli Patch on FB Profile of the farm