We'd have to clear land and bring on a whole new crew of workers. That would mean building more housing. A community that has stood against clearcutting has concerns about spreading its own footprint further into the forest. So the major food-growing action at Breitenbush has remained a garden in the middle of the community village where workers live. Individuals cultivate small plots for their own use.
Cold frames insulate some crops in sheets of plastic.
The gardens are striking, the very image of the ecovillage. Neither fussy nor neat, they reflect the kind of luxuriant chaos one finds in ancient forests right down the road. This is the way of permaculture, which advises working with nature, flowing with its patterns. Some younger community members would like to see more done in the gardens. The vision of the community growing more of its own food remains, and could happen within the limits of the land.