What is forest farming?

I first fell in love with forest farming over a decade ago, high up in the Catskill Mountains. I was hired to work on a wild-simulated ginseng farm. Working underneath the tree canopy, protected by their crowns, I fell in love with farming. Only it was slightly different than growing in a field. 

We learned to work with and not against our agricultural friend, nature. There was no plowing, irrigation, or chemicals. We were just figuring out how to use the space that was allotted to us and trying not to change it. 

Forest farming is often used in parallel with agroforestry, although they are quite different. Forest farming could be considered a branch of agroforestry, with the latter being an umbrella term for all things grown underneath an overstory. Agroforestry is a land management system that incorporates trees, shrubs, etc. into established agricultural systems. Like installing a food forest into an open hay field. Nothing's wrong with that! I'd prefer to see more trees planted vs. hay harvested. 

Forest farming is growing, producing, and harvesting in an established forest. The understory and overstory are already provided. You are working in a system that is much older and much wiser than you. One that has already figured out its balance and how to maintain it. I'm here to learn from it and spend time doing what I love. Growing mushrooms and medicinals in the shade, out of the sun, and helping the woods along the way!