Agroforestry systems inc Forest Gardens for food production

Name: Agroforestry systems inc Forest Gardens for food production
Start: 2026-10-31T10:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-31T13:00:00+00:00
Location: Hestercombe House & Gardens

Schedule

Sat Oct 31 2026 at 10:00 am to 01:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Hestercombe House & Gardens | Taunton, EN

How to design, set up and manage a forest garden and other agroforestry systems
About this Event

This is a course at our demonstration Market Garden at Hestercombe Gardens - public transport options are limited.

This course is for you if you would like to incorporate trees within your growing area, or would like to understand better the benefits of trees within your plot.

Helping you to understand how to design trees into your system for agriculture or horticulture, possible tree crops – some will surprise you – options for different conditions and benefits

Topics include:

Silvo-pasture
Silvo-arable
Forest Gardens
Syntropic systems
Hedging
Shelterbelts & Windbreaks
Silvo-horticulture and tree rows

Please note, as a small non-profit organisation, it's not sustainable to offer refunds.
If you need to cancel your place up to one month of the course, you will be offered a credit towards another workshop.
After that time, we can only offer a credit if we have been able to re-sell your place on the course.

Please wear sturdy footwear and dress for all weathers!

This course is delivered outside on site, and the ground is uneven. We will spend some time under cover in the polytunnel / glasshouse.

The venue is rural.

The nearest train station is Taunton.

Suitable for:

Anyone with an interest in Agroforestry systems, Forest Gardens and how to design a planted area for your site.

About the event (including practical elements):

Using the site, polytunnel, existing trees and hedges, we will explore various agroforestry systems suitable to different landscapes, with particular attention paid to Forest Gardens.

We will assess the possible crops for commercial forest garden production here in the UK; what can be grown outdoors, key species for each planting layer and a design for your site.

You will be able to see our crops growing, taste some and ask questions about why we have chosen what we grow.

There will be an opportunity to buy some of our produce.

You will learn:

Agroforestry systems suitable for UK sites
Agroforestry food production systems
Benefits of agroforestry
How to start to design a Forest Garden
Complementary plants
Unusual trees & shrubs for food production
Forest Garden plants
Management plans for a Forest Garden

You will leave with a good understanding of various agroforestry systems and their benefits to soil health, the environment and to us as producers.

Next steps:

We offer training and support on site, as well one-to-one consultancy and design for forest gardens and agroforestry systems.

*Booking onto one of our events adds you to our mailing list, you can opt out at any time, or email us to request you're not added. We don't share your details externally, and only use them for our own newsletter.*

Testimonials:

Lovely course, thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend :)

Lyndsey, Berks

I would recommend edge (formerly incredible edible) to anyone. I have never been a very confident gardener but the courses I have done have provided me with such a wealth of information and expertise that I now feel encouraged to give things a go.

Lorna, Wantage

"Very interesting and supportive. It has given me the confidence to research and try things I hadn't thought about before. Thank you Rachael"

Sarah, Berkshire

"Urban Design OBU benefited greatly from a workshop on urban food production using the UFP toolkit by Rachel Hammond of Edge landscaping. The students managed to develop a masterplan for a global city site measuring the productivity of their designs, management issues as well as understanding the social and environmental benefits of UFP. The workshops are compelling and effective for valuing UFP."

Regina L. Oxford Brookes University

About the Tutors

Rachel is a Landscape Architect & Urban Designer specialising in regenerative food production. She designs spaces for food, soil health and wildlife and biodiversity, as well as maximising harvests and reducing the work needed to achieve it.

She learnt to grow food from her Grandparents in Jersey who grew much of their own produce on their acre - including Jersey Royal Potatoes! Rachel still loves potatoes.

Growing food all her life, and commercially for the last 10 years, Rachel has worked with CSA, farms, market gardens, urban farms, community gardens and corporate businesses to increase food production and efficiency, whilst reducing labour and costs.

Georgina is an education expert who runs our school and family sessions as well as building our ponds and bog gardens for us. She is a specialist in song birds and wild mushrooms.

Rachel founded edge, a non-profit design agency, with the main aims of designing urban food production systems, growing food within whole ecosystems and educating others on food production systems and ecological farming practices.