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Permaculture Design
& Food Forests

We design landscapes that produce food, build soil, and sustain themselves over time. From backyard food forests to whole-property permaculture designs — rooted in Florida's climate and your soil's biology.

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What This Is

A Landscape That Works With Nature, Not Against It

Permaculture design is not just planting fruit trees. It's designing a complete system — water, soil, plants, wildlife, and human use — so each element supports the others.

A well-designed food forest or permaculture property:

  • Produces food, medicine, and habitat simultaneously
  • Builds soil biology over time rather than depleting it
  • Requires decreasing maintenance as the system matures
  • Captures and stores rainwater on-site rather than running it off
  • Increases in value and productivity every year
What Sets Us Apart

We add what most permaculture designers don't: microscope-verified soil biology.

Every design starts with knowing what's actually living in your soil. Jake's Soil Food Web training means we plant what your biology supports today — and build biology toward what you want to grow tomorrow.

Most permaculture designs look beautiful on paper. Ours are built on what we can actually see under a microscope. That changes which plants go in first, what inputs we apply before planting, and how quickly your system establishes.

How We Work

Our Design Process

Five steps from first site walk to a thriving, self-sustaining system — with soil biology guiding every decision.

1
Step 1

Site Consultation & Vision

We start with a site walk and a conversation. What do you want from this land? Food production, privacy, wildlife habitat, beauty — all of the above? What are your maintenance preferences — hands-off or engaged gardener?

We assess sun patterns, existing plants worth keeping, water flow paths, and your soil's current condition.

No charge for initial site walk
2
Step 2

Soil Analysis

Jake pulls soil samples and runs a microscope analysis. Your soil's fungal-to-bacterial ratio tells us what it's currently suited to grow — and what biology we need to build toward your goals.

Most food forests thrive in a fungal-dominant environment. We build toward that from wherever your soil starts, with a clear biological roadmap for getting there.

3
Step 3

Design Development

We produce a complete layered planting plan using permaculture's 7-layer model. Every plant selection is Florida-appropriate, sourced locally where possible, and chosen to match your soil biology.

  • Canopy (20–40ft): Avocado, multi-graft citrus, moringa, jackfruit, longan
  • Understory (8–20ft): Banana, papaya, elderberry, pigeon pea, katuk
  • Shrub (3–8ft): Lemongrass, rosemary, comfrey, blueberry, chaya
  • Herbaceous: Vegetables, culinary herbs, nitrogen-fixers
  • Groundcover: Sweet potato, thyme, perennial peanut, strawberry
  • Vine: Passion fruit, chayote, muscadine grape, loofah
  • Root: Yuca, arrowroot, ginger, turmeric, taro
4
Step 4

Installation

We source plants from local Florida nurseries where possible. Installation is phased over one to two seasons to allow soil biology to establish between plantings.

All beds are prepared with biological inputs from Treasure Coast Compost before planting — compost, liquid extract, biochar, and worm castings in the root zone. Your plants go into living soil from day one.

5
Step 5

Establishment Support

Year one is the most critical. We provide a written care guide specific to your design, schedule 30/60/90/120-day follow-up visits, and are available for questions throughout establishment.

As the system matures, our involvement decreases — by design. A well-established food forest should need very little from you by year three.

Florida Food Forest Reference

Plants We Use in Martin County

Florida's year-round growing season and subtropical climate give us access to species most of the country can't grow. Here's what we draw from most often, organized by layer.

Canopy  ·  20–40ft

The Backbone

Moringa, Multi-graft citrus (tangerine / grapefruit / orange on one tree), Avocado (Brogdon, Simmonds), Jackfruit, Longan, Lychee, Mango (grafted dwarf varieties)

Understory  ·  8–20ft

The Mid-Story

Papaya, Banana (Dwarf Cavendish, Blue Java), Elderberry, Pigeon Pea (nitrogen fixer, food, and mulch source), Katuk, Starfruit

Shrub  ·  3–8ft

The Understory Layer

Lemongrass, Rosemary, Comfrey (dynamic accumulator), Blueberry (requires pH adjustment), Cuban oregano, Chaya

Groundcover

Living Mulch

Sweet potato, Thyme, Perennial peanut (nitrogen fixer and living mulch), Strawberry, Nasturtium

Vine Layer

Vertical Growth

Passion fruit (native and purple), Chayote, Muscadine grape, Loofah — using vertical space to maximize production per square foot

Root Layer

Underground Abundance

Yuca (cassava), Arrowroot, Ginger, Turmeric, Taro — producing food in the one dimension most landscapes leave completely empty

Florida's year-round growing season, subtropical fruit availability, and summer rain patterns make it one of the best places in the country to build a food forest. We take full advantage of that. Every plant on our list is proven in Martin County's climate and soil conditions.

How to Engage

Design-Only or Full Installation

We work with clients two ways. Both include soil biology analysis.

Design-Only

Design + Consultation

We produce your complete planting plan, plant list, and installation guide. You implement on your own timeline — or hand it to your own landscaper. Jake is available for questions throughout your installation.

  • Soil microscopy analysis
  • Complete 7-layer design plan
  • Full species list with sourcing notes
  • Step-by-step installation guide
  • Jake available for questions during your install
Common Questions

Before You Reach Out

Honest answers to what most people ask before starting a food forest or permaculture project in Florida.

A meaningful food forest can be designed on as little as 500 square feet. A full 7-layer design typically works best at 1/8 acre or more. We've designed everything from backyard systems to multi-acre properties — the principles scale in both directions.
Some plants (papaya, banana, sweet potato) produce within months. Others (avocado, jackfruit) take 3–5 years. A well-designed food forest is producing something year-round within 12–18 months, with total production increasing every year as the system matures.
Year one is the most hands-on — watering, mulching, and monitoring establishment. By year two to three, a well-designed system is largely self-maintaining. We design for minimum long-term maintenance as a core principle: if a system needs constant input forever, it wasn't designed well.
Yes. We typically keep everything worth keeping and design around it. A mature tree is years of growth you don't have to wait for. We'll assess what's worth incorporating and what should be replaced during the site consultation.
We design statewide in Florida. Installation is primarily Martin County and the Treasure Coast region. If you're elsewhere in Florida, we can hand off a complete design to a local installer — or work with whoever you already have on the ground.
Design fees depend on property size and scope. Installation pricing is separate and quoted per project. We provide pricing after the initial site consultation — there's no charge for that first visit, and there's no obligation. Reach out and we'll set something up.
Get Started

Let's Design Your Land Together

Every design starts with a site walk. Tell us about your property and what you're hoping to create — we'll take it from there.