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A Message from the Founder:
Reflections on 2022 & Aspirations for 2023
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Announcing: The Tree of Life | |
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A First-of-its-Kind Project: A Perennial Food System & Artwork Built into the Landscape
What exactly IS the Tree of Life Project?
The Tree of Life is a large-scale 15-acre demonstration project designed to visually display the beauty and productivity of a radically diverse food forest system. Thousands of trees, shrubs, vines and root crops will be integrated to optimize synergies among plants and to maximize photosynthesis and human food production. Over time, it will become a model of a resilient, self-sustaining system that grows increasingly productive with each passing year. When viewed from above, the plantings create an aerial view of an enormous tree of life. Each branch of the tree, which on the ground is a sector of plantings, is designed to grow, bloom, and be harvested sequentially one after another throughout each month of the year to create the visual effect of a natural calendar and to facilitate simplified harvesting.
This is the journey the project has taken so far, and what is to come:
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Phase I (2019-2022): Design, planning, and land mapping
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Phase II (2023): Fencing, gates, and first round of planting
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Phase III (2024-2025): More planting, building a processing area, and integrating ducks, geese, & chickens for pest management and fertility
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Who is it for?
In short, everyone – volunteers, student groups, visitors, donors, researchers, photographers, birders, policy makers and anyone who likes to eat real food.
Why is this project important?
It will show that large-scale food production can be carried out in an ecologically sound way that restores soils, sequesters carbon, protects and enhances water flows, and encourages all life forms to coexist. In addition, it will provide a unique opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to come together around an important project that will continue over many years. We humans will begin to see a place for ourselves as beneficial participants in natural ecosystems (rather than agents of destruction). Whether one lives in an urban, suburban, or rural setting, growing layered perennial food systems is viable, valuable, and fun – for promoting healthy eating, for building community, and for experiencing a different way to interact with the natural world.
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Funding the Tree of Life:
We Cannot Do it Without You!
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We have received a generous offer from an amazing funder to match any donations from TRC supporters, up to $15,000. With this in mind, we are asking our community to donate to the REED Center so that we can immediately start work on this ambitious multi-year project.
Your tax deductible donations are vital to get this program off the ground. This is literally and figuratively the SEED money for this vision. Thank you in advance for any contribution, no matter the size…your support means the world to us at TRC!
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We are offering benefits for donors who give at different levels!
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SEED LEVEL: $50 - Plant a tree dedicated to you or a loved one.**
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ROOT LEVEL: $250 - Plant 5 dedicated trees** + 1 FREE event/class in 2023!
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CANOPY LEVEL: $2500 - Plant 10 dedicated trees** + a 2023 SEASON PASS to any & all event/class offerings at the REED Center for the full calendar year!
**After receiving your donation we will send you an email asking what name(s) you wish to have inscribed on our tree tagging system.
Please share this fundraiser with your friends, family, and coworkers far and wide. Consider giving a young tree as a gift (holidays, birthdays, graduations, and weddings happen all year round), or in honor or remembrance of someone special in your life. It’s the ultimate gift that expands the circle of love, connecting all of us to the wildlife, land and trees that bring us oxygen, food, healthy soil, intact landscapes, wisdom, and so much more.
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Overview of The REED Center & the Tree of Life
Join this webinar to get a thorough overview of the REED Center, how we work and what we do. Our Founder, Ben Friton, will be sharing some of what he has learned in his travels around the world and how he is applying these lessons in designing our headquarters at Morning View Food Forest.
In this webinar, Ben will be introducing a major new multi-year project called the Tree of Life, which is a 15- acre hillside planting of a large-scale food forest, designed in the shape of a large tree, visible from aerial views from the sky. This is an exciting chance to learn about this transformational vision which has been formulated over many years and is now ready to come to life! There will be a Q&A session at the end where participants can ask Ben any questions they may have. Whether your interests are global in nature or more focused on your backyard or community, this webinar will be relevant and interesting to all. To attend, please RSVP below.
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2023 Educational Offerings | |
A Variety of Learning Opportunities
In 2023, we will be offering a wide variety of classes and events at The REED Center's headquarters, Morning View Food Forest.
We will be offering something for everyone, from wellness events such as yoga classes and drum circles, to live music concerts and documentary screenings in our Forest Amphitheater in the woods, to land-based educational classes and hands-on skill-building work days on the land. In January, we will be announcing annual passes and different ways you can get the most out of what we're offering, from volunteer opportunities to a full-on permaculture design certification. Until then, you can peruse the 2023 events calendar by clicking the button below.
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