Food Forest Nursery

This is a story of navigating with integrity when things go sideways. In my second full season of building my food forest I was super excited to find FoodForestNursery.com as an amazing resource for native species and an impressive array of trees and shrubs I was thrilled to add as food and wildlife habitat. The short version of this extended journey is at 2.5 weeks, the 18 amazing bare root specimens in my order were deemed officially lost and we were alerted we should file a claim. Despite the disappointment and frustration, the nursery had already put together a complimentary replacement shipment, which was on its way. The evening before the replacement arrival, without any notice, the original shipment arrived, 23 days since shipment. The label and box were in pristine condition, so it is baffling how it went missing and was deemed lost for close to a month. Though weeks past its anticipated delivery, when I checked their roots, they were still damp in their carefully packaged moist sawdust. I held my breath as I gently scraped a bit of bark away to see if they were still alive. Every single one of them was green underneath! INCREDIBLE! I soaked the roots for several hours as I prepped all the planting sites. Some of their roots looked darker and potentially not as viable as they would have if they had arrived on time. But they clearly had been raised and nurtured with TLC and were determined to live their best plant life, so I wasted no time planting them with mycorrhizal fungi and kelp, tucking them in with compost and mulch. Phenomenally, several had tiny leaf buds just starting to open. When the replacement shipment arrived the next day, those roots were clearly fresher (having been packed only a couple days before), and I repeated the process, getting them into the ground so they could begin to wake up in their new home. A couple days later and after their first rainfall, I am inspired by their resilience. Two in the initial shipment had arrived with a couple tender leaves that had paled and wilted in the weeks of darkness, and in that short time in the ground, they had greened up and started to look feisty. A few leaf buds have even opened. Too early to tell how they will all fare, but wow, am I impressed with Food Forest Nursery on so many levels. I would sum it up with this: RESILIENCE. · They raise strong stock and set them up for success as bare root plants—staying viable weeks past their delivery window. · Their roots are packaged carefully and incredibly stayed moist for the unanticipated 3.5-week odyssey. · In full integrity, FoodForestNursery.com honors their word and cares for their clients, clearly communicating throughout the process and insuring we get a replacement shipment when the first delivery goes sideways. And that’s the essence of an admirable brand: how they navigate when things don’t go as anticipated. It’s easy when everything happens as it should. But food foresters know, every day is an adventure. The key to thriving, even in uncertainty, is resilience. I am incredibly appreciative to Food Forest Nursery for their resilience and the resilience of their stock!

After searching for a Prime Ark Freedom Blackberry plant I found Food Forest Nursery to have the best price. I also liked the informative listings including optimal growing conditions for each plant, as well as the description of the company so I placed an order for that blackberry plant and some other plants that can be difficult to find. Unfortunately, there was a problem with my order involving damage during shipment but Derek resolved the issue. The plants that arrived were much larger and healthier than similar plants I have purchased elsewhere that cost more! The plants also arrived pest and disease free. Anyway, Food Forest Nursery offers a very nice selection of very healthy and reasonably priced plants as well as excellent customer service and I highly recommend Food Forest Nursery! I also intend to place another order myself next year.

I ordered an Ayers pear on P. calleryana rootstock when I couldn't find one anywhere else this spring. The nursery shipped it quickly and it arrived in sturdy packaging. The tree exceeded my expectations -- although it was unbranched, it had a nice thick caliper, good graft, and good roots. It started leafing out after two weeks in the ground and it looks like I'll have plenty of lateral branches to pick from next season. I will order from them again in the future.

Two pounds in weight for seven plants; guess I have been spoiled by others.

Wonderful selection of both native plants and edibles at affordable prices. I ordered a roughleaf dogwood from Food Forest Nursery, which was difficult to find at local and specialized nurseries, so I ordered it from Food Forest Nursery the minute I saw it. The tree arrived carefully packaged and with a fully developed root system, which really impressed me. My tree is now leafing out nicely.

Posted on October 7, 2021, updated October 10, 2021 Posted on October 6, 2021, updated October 7, 2021 Hmm, why no review? Is this a new company?