Our Cassava Strategy in the Food Forest

At our farm, cassava plays a special role in the design of our orchard-based food forests. Rather than planting it as a stand-alone crop, we integrate cassava directly into the ecosystem to support the growth of young fruit trees.

Cassava, Manihot esculenta, is planted from cuttings at the base of each orchard hugel mound, specifically on the east side of the mound. This placement is intentional and part of our broader food forest strategy.

Understanding the Food Forest Concept

A food forest is a farming system designed to mimic the structure and function of a natural forest while producing food. Instead of a single crop grown in rows, food forests layer plants together so they support one another.

These layers often include:

• Tall canopy trees

• Fruit and nut trees

• Shrubs and perennial vegetables

• Groundcovers and herbs

• Root crops

This diversity helps create a self-supporting ecosystem that improves soil health, conserves water, reduces pest pressure, and increases long-term productivity.

The Role of Hugel Beds

Our orchard trees are planted on hugel mounds, a method inspired by the regenerative technique known as Hügelkultur.

These mounds are built with buried wood and organic material that slowly decomposes underground. As the wood breaks down, it acts like a sponge—holding moisture, feeding soil life, and providing nutrients to the plants growing above.

The hugel structure also creates different microclimates on each side of the mound depending on sun exposure, wind, and moisture.

Why We Plant Cassava

Young orchard trees are particularly vulnerable during their early years. Intense sun, wind, and heat can stress them before their root systems and canopies are fully established.

This is where cassava becomes an important partner.

Cassava grows quickly into a bushy, leafy plant that can reach 6–10 feet tall, creating a temporary canopy around young trees. When planted near orchard trees, cassava acts as a living nurse plant, providing several benefits:

• Shade protection for young orchard trees• Wind buffering in exposed areas• Living biomass that can later feed the soil• Additional food production from the roots

In essence, cassava helps create a protective microclimate while the orchard is still developing.

Why We Plant on the East Side of the Hugel

We specifically plant cassava cuttings on the east side of each hugel mound.

This positioning allows the cassava to grow into the morning sun first, encouraging strong early growth. As the day progresses and the sun intensifies, the cassava canopy can help soften the harsher afternoon conditions experienced by young orchard trees growing on the mound.

The mound itself also helps direct water toward the cassava roots while improving drainage around the orchard trees.

A Temporary but Valuable Layer

Cassava functions as a transitional layer in the developing food forest. As the orchard trees mature and begin forming their own canopy, the cassava can be harvested and removed, returning organic matter and nutrients back to the soil.

This approach allows us to stack functions in the landscape:

• Growing food for people

• Protecting young orchard trees

• Building soil

• Creating living shade

• Increasing biodiversity

By integrating cassava into the orchard system this way, we transform a simple root crop into a support plant that helps establish a resilient food forest ecosystem.