VERMONT FOREST GARDEN
The Vision:
Plant, maintain and harvest abundant and diverse food forest planting with dozens of commercial crops. Create a community hub for gatherings and festivals to celebrate in the bounty and share valuable skills for the wider community.
The Mission:
Generate a perennial year round "Food Pantry" whose design and function can be replicated all over the region and the world. Abundant yields will be harvested by the local community and be available for sale and donation.
Abundant Future
I'm (Mateo) envisioning a Northern Vermont landscape transformed into a thriving edible ecosystem. By applying permaculture and agroforestry techniques we will design and cultivate a diverse and extremely bountiful "Forest Garden". This perennial multi-tiered garden in the woods will provide overflowing yeilds which will connect our community with the abundant rhythms of nature.
This Forest Garden will include the following main crops - our main commercial/production crops are bolded.
The Canopy: Chestnuts, Black Walnuts, Yellowbud Hickories (Oil), Butternuts, Heartnuts.
The Understory: Apples, Pears, Plums, Persimmons (Cold Hardy from Perfect Circle Farm), Cherries, Peaches, Mulberries.
The Shrubs: Currants, Aronia Berries, Elderberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, honeyberries, gooseberries, seaberries, juneberries.
Vines: Hardy Kiwis, Grapes, Hops.
Herbs/Ground Cover: Jerusalem Artichoke, Asparagus, Elecampane, Echinacea, Marshmallow, Lemon Balm, Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Mint, Chives.
Looking For:
I (Mateo) would like to purchase land with the following:
Size:
30-50 acres of mostly open farmland.
Topography:
The land can be flat or have natural topography as we will build swales to collect water and reduce erosion. South or west facing land and access to water including springs would be a plus.
Location:
Land is located within a 30 minute drive of the Hardwick, Morrisville, or Johnson area.
Infrasctructure:
No Requirements: Land can be completely bare.
About Mateo
Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, I started my organic farming journey in 2013 when I WWOOFed on farms in Oregon and Washington. Since then I've lived and worked on dozens of farms and homesteads throughout the US and Central and South America. I have visited hundreds of organic farms and permaculture projects over my travels.
In 2019 I studied permaculture with Ben Falk in Central VT and subsequently taught farming and gardening at a Montessori School in the Boston area for a few years. I moved to Vermont in 2022: since then I've worked on and visited many amazing farmers and nurseries.
I started my business Prophecy Chocolate in 2018 in the Boston area and in 2022 we moved to Vermont. This company has been the culmination of over 10 years of work on farms throughout Latin America and apprenticeship with a master chocolate maker in the Boston area. I have combined my love of farming and chocolate and fruits and herbs to create award-winning products, many of which include the bounty of the harvest from Vermont.
Feel free to check out our Prophecy Chocolate shop which is open to the public at 27 Winter Street Morrisville, VT Sundays and Mondays from 11:00 to 5:00.
Thanks and Many Blessings!
Mateo
617 840 2497
VermontForestGarden@gmail.com