Understanding how to care for trees is an integral part of developing diverse perennial food systems. Perennial plantings are a powerful approach to reclaiming the essential labor of local food production, because there is the possibility continuous growth and harvest, without as much input of labor. A few key agroforestry skills for caring for our largest perennial kin are pruning, grafting and coppicing trees. Pruning keeps the tree healthy, and encourages fruiting. Grafting allows one to grow a diversity of varieties from one plant, and allows one to trade and forage varieties from various sources. And coppicing allows one to harvest fire (and other forms of) wood without the devastating effects or intensive processing of logging and full tree felling.
