LIFE IN THE FOOD FOREST™
Grow a Food Forest Where You Live
Where are you growing? (Click on your region)
Northeast | Southeast | Midwest | Rocky Mountains | Arid Southwest | Pacific Northwest | Coastal California
Download Your Free Regional Food Forest Starter Map
Imagine stepping into your yard and harvesting fruit, berries, herbs, and vegetables
from a landscape that grows more productive every year.
A food forest is a layered, regenerative garden system designed to mimic natural ecosystems—
producing food while improving soil, supporting pollinators, and building long-term resilience.
But one of the biggest questions people ask is:
“Where do I even start?”
That’s why I created the Food Forest Starter Maps.
These simple regional guides help you begin imagining what a food forest could look like where you live.
Download the Starter Map for Your Region
Available regions include:
• Northeast
• Southeast
• Midwest
• Rocky Mountain Region
• Arid Southwest
• Pacific Northwest
• Coastal California
If you live near the edge of a region, feel free to download both your region and the neighboring one.
For example, here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I often use plants from both the
Arid Southwest and the Rocky Mountain regions.
What You'll Get Inside Your Starter Map
Each regional guide includes:
A starter plant list
A short list of trees, shrubs, and other plants that grow well in your region.
A sample food forest guild
An example grouping of plants that support each other and grow well together.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
A few common pitfalls that can slow down new food forest projects.
These maps are designed to give you a clear and simple starting point as you begin exploring food forest design.
This is the doorway into a very different way of living.
Start Here — Then Go Deeper
Start Here — Then Go Deeper
If the starter map sparks your interest and you want to learn how to design your own food forest step-by-step, explore:
Urban Abundance Blueprint
Food Forest Foundations for Climate-Smart Environmental Design
This course walks you through the key factors to consider when planning your food forest—from climate and site conditions to plant relationships and long-term system design.
And if you're looking for larger plant libraries, vegetable varieties, soil guides, and practical reference tools, you may also enjoy the:
Food Forest Designer’s Toolkit
A resource library to help you select plants, understand soil, and make confident design decisions.
Download Your Free Starter Map
Choose your region and begin exploring what a food forest could look like where you live.