The Enchanted Food Forest at Orcas Christian School

I thought you might like a look at this significant land transformation. I can’t help but pass by it and marvel at the abundance happening inside. All Hands on Earth, a nonprofit begun by Alex Tamayo-Wolf, transformed the open field below at the front of Orcas Christian School into a thriving garden and fruit orchard. Check out these photos at the very beginning of the project…

Since All Hands on Earth was founded in 2019, they’ve donated more than 4 tons of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to the school and greater community, and have educated hundreds of kids and adults on personal food security. This far exceeded their expectations for the period, and they plan to add a second school food stream and repeat their success.

This is how the property looks today…

the story so far… (from the All Hands on Earth website)

​In the summer and fall of 2019, nonprofit All Hands on Earth brought in a bountiful harvest from its first permaculture food stream, The Enchanted Food Forest on Orcas Island, WA. Hosted by Orcas Christian School, the permaculture-based garden has been the first real-life test of All Hands’ philosophy of incarnating permaculture principles and education into community-based agriculture. The organization’s mission is to build drought-tolerant, sustainable organic food streams – and in the process, to teach local schools and communities the permaculture principles of care for Earth, care for people, and fair share (returning surplus to earth and to people).  

All Hands On Earth was founded by Alex Tamayo-Wolf, a former Microsoft software engineer whose passion for permaculture and sustainable farming practices led him to form the organization in 2018. That winter, to create the Enchanted Food Forest, schoolchildren and volunteers helped sheet-mulch and fence .33 acres of a grass field, and started seedlings that they later transplanted into no-till beds. That summer, harvests were distributed to the local food bank, senior center, and volunteers. That fall returning schoolchildren helped harvest their crops for the school cafeteria, which is redesigning its menu from the food stream to reach a goal of 50% food sustainability.

All Hands’ goal is to help other organizations, such as schools, to establish food streams and sustainability programs. As it did with its first successful pilot program on Orcas Island, All Hands on Earth plans to fundraise and coordinate with local farmers and volunteers at each organization to provide the donations, facilities and education needed to create a program that will support the sustainable health and wellness of students, their community and environment.

At each site, All Hands establishes agriculturally sustainable landscapes that provide economic benefit and nutritious food for students and others in need, and creates menus that utilize the yield from the permaculture landscape or “food forest.” The organization not only educates students on personal and environmental sustainability, but also hosts trainings in food safety, habitat restoration, conservation of biodiversity, carbon footprint reduction, putting “waste” to good use and heirloom species, while providing exercise, stress relief and community-building activities. All Hands on Earth is also actively researching known bio-active plant species that may help with prevention or therapy for chronic diseases, or provide dietary support for conventional therapies.

Through the help of generous donors, All Hands on Earth plans to establish more food streams, in the process creating a model for other institutions or individuals to follow and publishing systematically evaluated research and step-by-step weekly and seasonal web support.