We started The Resiliency Institute because we believe permaculture can positively transform the way we do things in our lives, landscapes, and communities. Permaculture provides us with the framework and tools to design resilient systems that care for people, care for the earth, and distribute our resources. Sponsor us so we can spread the power of permaculture and develop resilient communities.

Food Forests

Food forests and forest gardens are cropping up worldwide as solutions to food insecurity and as a response to the local food movement. Food forests are a permaculture design that mimics a woodland ecosystem using perennial edible, medicinal, fiber, dye, and fuel producing trees, shrubs, and plants. Some of the benefits of food forests are:

• work with the land instead of against it
• low maintenance and high productivity
• diverse and abundant product yields
• resilience to climatic extremes and changes of weather
• biologically sustainable
• environmentally and socially beneficial
• aesthetically beautiful

Sponsor the FIRST forest garden in Naperville at The Conservation Foundation’s McDonald Farm. McDonald farm is a 60-acre farm surrounded by suburban development, preserved for conservation, education, and agriculture. Over 8,000 people visit the farm annually to participate in activities and learn about renewable energy, water conservation techniques, native landscaping, green roofing, organic farming, and soon, an edible forest garden. This forest garden project will serve as a programming tool to teach students and community members how to design and develop perennial based food systems for both residential and business applications.

McDonald Farm Edible Forest Garden Sponsor Form

Educational Programming

Sponsor our educational programming to remove cost barriers to knowledge. With your support we can offer free and reduced price courses to ensure permaculture is available to people of all economic means. You can sponsor programming at McDonald Farm, or a private education session for a business, or group.

Research and Development

“What gets measured, gets managed” ~Peter Drucker

Permaculture and resiliency planning are young enterprises and documented research is important to understand best applications and results. We are seeking partners and sponsors interested in developing and conducting a variety of research projects that support the adoption of permaculture design.

Contact Jodi Trendler at [email protected] or (630) 886-5159.