Permaculture 101
Artwork by KT Shepherd
In this info packet…
- What is permaculture?
- 3 foundational ethics
- 12 principles
- Common practices
- Decolonizing permaculture
- Beyond agriculture
- Further resources
- References
What is permaculture?
Permaculture began as a contraction between ‘permanent’ and ‘agriculture’, and has since been expanded to be ‘culture’. The word ‘permanent’ is a reference to sustainability. Modern permaculture is attributed to David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, though these ideas were developed over generations within and between nations. Other prominent figures relating to permaculture include Joseph Russell Smith, Royohiko Kagawa, P.A. Yeoman, Steward Brand, Ruth Stout, and Esther Deans. Geoff Lawton and Toby Hemenway are also notable figures, as are Rony Lec and Juan Rojas.
"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.” - Bill Mollison
In permaculture, there are 3 foundational ethics:
- Earth care/ Care of the Earth: Providing ways for all life systems to continue and multiply. Our lives are intertwined with all Earth systems.
- People care / Care of people: Emphasizes the importance of folks having access to resources necessary for existence, and looking after each other in communities.
- Fair share/ Return of surplus: If you have extra of something, use it either to help people or help the Earth. Never waste it.
There are twelve Permaculture design principles put forth by David Holmgren in Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability.
- Observe and interact: Take time to observe the land at different times of day in all seasons, so we can see patterns and design solutions in a way that works with nature.
- Catch and store energy: Collect resources at peak abundance.
- Obtain a yield: Make sure you are getting enough of what you want - if not, change your design.
- Apply self-regulation and accept feedback: Learn, change, and grow together to ensure that the systems continue to function well.
- Use and value renewable resources and services: Make use of the abundance around you to reduce consumption and dependence on non-renewable resources.
- Produce no waste: Value and make use of all that you can, ensuring as little waste as possible.
- Design from patterns to details: Observe patterns that form the backbone of the design. Fill in details with time.
- Integrate rather than segregate: Put the right plant in the right place, and you will see relationships between these things develop. They will work together to support each other.
- Use small and slow solutions: Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, make better use of resources, and are more sustainable.
- Use and value diversity: Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats.
- Use edges and value the marginal: These are where the most interesting and valuable events take place.
- Creatively use and respond to change: We can observe and intervene at the right time when change occurs.
Common practices:
Agroforestry: uses interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops or livestock. Forest gardening/ food forests is designing to mimic natural forests.
Hügelkultur: burying a lot of wood to increase soil water retention. The wood acts as a sponge when decomposition occurs, and retains water to sustain crops through dry seasons.
Natural building: a variety of building systems attempting to lessen the environmental impact of buildings. This can include things like living/ green roofs, on-site water capture, alternate sewage treatment, and sourcing materials regionally.
Rainwater harvesting: storing rainwater for re-use.
Sheet mulching: a no-dig technique that places mulch as a protective cover over the soil. Mulch materials absorb rainfall, suppress weed growth, and reduce erosion of soil.
Grazing: grazing herds or flocks can be moved to fresh pastures, modelled after nature.
Fruit tree management: pruning of fruit trees is debatable.
Closed loop systems: a system that provides for its own energy needs. This moves beyond things like solar power to other inputs such as food and fertilizer.
Perennial crops: since these require planting only once, it disturbs the soil less.
Multiple functions: the idea that every component of a structure or landscape should fulfill more than one function. For example, a fence can be used to contain animals, function as a windbreak, trellis, or reflective surface to direct heat and light to plants. Also called stacking functions.
Remember, the problem is the solution. "You don't have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency.”
Decolonizing permaculture:
- Centralize the voices of the community you are working in
- Put your land into a land trust/ decrease attachment to private property
- Develop relationships and support the activism and work of Indigenous peoples and People of Colour
- Acknowledge your history and privilege(s)
- Recognize the wisdom of Indigenous science and knowledge
Beyond agriculture:
Additional resources:
- http://gardenatkimbourne.blogspot.com/p/recommended-resources.html
- The Toronto Public Library has a range of resources (books, movies, e-books) about permaculture
- Searching online for ‘Permaculture 101’, ‘Decolonizing Permaculture’, ‘Intro to Permaculture’ on sites like Google and YouTube will all provide a range of resources
References:
https://greenpathherbschool.com/permaculture-101/
https://modernfarmer.com/2016/04/permaculture/
https://holmgren.com.au/about-permaculture/#lightbox/1/
https://www.growforagecookferment.com/permaculture-101-the-basics/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture
https://www.permaculturewomen.com/fpc1whatispermaculture.html
https://www.kcet.org/shows/tending-nature/the-indigenous-science-of-permaculture
https://norcalresilience.org/decolonizing-permaculture-2/
https://sites.google.com/site/nepcwomen/resources/decolonizing-permaculture-resources
https://permacultureforthepeople.org/2016/10/25/why-decolonize-permaculture/