Food Forest Design

Hi everyone, my name is Freeman Jordan and I am the food systems designer out here at Forest Cradle Homestead. I discovered permaculture and food forest design while studying environmental and cultural sustainability in graduate school, where I later wrote my master’s thesis on using permaculture principles to support addiction recovery.

As someone who has personally struggled with PTSD and addiction, permaculture became more than an academic interest—it became a way of life. Working with the land, producing food, and creating and living within regenerative systems proved profoundly healing. The deeper I studied, the more permaculture simply made sense—especially in a time marked by freshwater depletion, soil loss, habitat destruction, fragile supply chains, and growing social uncertainty. The design of Food Forests was particularly interesting and exciting to me, and this is where most of my focus has been on the homestead.

At Forest Cradle, my goal is simple: to help build resilient communities rooted in regenerative agriculture and local food systems. I believe meaningful change begins at home, in our own yards and neighborhoods.