How to Build A Mini Food Forest

Discover a Sustainable Gardening Idea That Produces Fruit & Vegetable With Less Hard Work, Fewer Weeds and Less Expense.

This winter Sidmouth Community Food Forest, in conjunction with Sidmouth Eco-hub, are going to make planting a food forest easy for anyone wanting to grow one.

Come along to our food forest at Sidford and discover how to design and plant a thriving, low-maintenance food ecosystem directly beneath a single tree. You'll learn the techniques to create a resilient, productive, and cost-effective forest garden that works with nature, making gardening easier, more sustainable, and significantly less expensive.

Join us to unlock the secrets of this simple and very effective way to grow your own food.

We are running four two hour linked sessions over the winter that will explain everything you need to know about food forestry, how to start one at home, what plants you can use, how to grow them plus loads of other things you need to know as you transform your approach to sustainable home food production.

Making Food Forestry Very Easy!

If you don't have space at home, or don't feel ready to start your own food forest yet, don't despair. As part of the planned sessions you can design, plant and manage a small food forest here at the food forest. We have over 20 apple trees already established in our orchard that are ready to be turned into mini food forests. So you can experiment on our plot before creating your own at home

What Will be Covered?

We are running four sessions in Sidford Social Hall with forays into the food forest as necessary. The topics we will cover are listed below. Ideally you should attend all sessions, but don't worry if you can't. Slides from each session will be available and we will briefly recap the previous session each time.

Session 1: Introduction to Food Forests: Principles and Design

Session 2: Building the Foundation: Soil, Water and Site Preparation

Session 3: Plant Selection and Guilds for a Resilient Food Forest

Session 4: Establishment and Early Care: Getting Your Food Forest Growing

A small selection of plants will be available for you to plant in the food forests you design plus there will be the opportunity to take cuttings of some plants during the sessions. And if you want to swap plants with other people please feel free to do so.

Location & Facilities

Each session will start in Sidford Social Hall, Byes Lane, Sidford and extend into the food forest when needed (weather permitting). The Hall is heated but please wear suitable clothing for walking around the food forest.

Tea/coffee making facilities are available as are toilets.

Dates

Sunday Nov. 9th 2025 2-4 pm

Sunday Dec. 14th 2025 2-4 pm

Sunday Jan 11th 2026 2-4 pm

Sunday Feb 8th 2026 2-4 pm

Costs

To cover refreshments there is a booking fee of £10. This covers all four sessions.

Students and those on benefits may seek a fee reduction (evidence of status required). Please email for further details before applying through Eventbrite.. StefanDrew@gmail.com

To Apply ....

Book your place on EventBrite.

Places are limited.

Thanks

Our thanks to Sidmouth Eco-hub and STC for funding these sessions.

This workshops forms part of a series being run by Sid Valley Biodiversity Group over the next year.