Guilds

What is growing at Mack Park Farm?

Our farm is unique in that we combine a traditional, enclosed vegetable farm with public food forest guilds that are open to picking for anyone who visits. The purpose of the vegetable farm is to provide healthy, organically-grown produce to the community. The food forest areas produce an abundance of food, but they are also an example of permaculture (think permanent agriculture”), a method of planting that mimics natural forests to create a self-sufficient, sustainable ecosystem that nourishes the soil, attracts pollinators, and conserves water.

Permaculture is gardening/farming designed after natural systems.

Like in a forest, there is a diverse array of trees, shrubs, plants, insects, animals together in a productive system that continually strengthens itself. A guild is a community of mutually beneficial plants grown in a delineated space that produce food and medicine, reduces the gardener’s work and helps wildlife and environment.

Want some of our fresh produce?

Our food forests are filled with native fruit trees, berry bushes, perennial herbs, and beautiful native flowers. Visitors are welcome to pick from these areas, we just ask that you do so responsibly. Please pick only what you plan to use, and leave some for others!

Pick berries and fruit only when ripe. When picking herbs or flowers, it’s helpful to have scissors or snips and cut stems at the base of the plant. Please do not pull up the whole plant. Thank you!