Cover image source: Colleen Stevenson Graphics
What is Permaculture?
It is an approach to designing a closed-loop system where every element involved is utilized to its full potential. Through a thorough oberservation of each individual element's inputs and outputs, we are able to place it in the most optimal position to gain maximum benefit with minimal effort. In other words waste = food. It's a cyclical effect where one element feeds the next one and at the end, the cycle starts again. For example, a fruit dropped to the ground from a tree, decomposes in the soil, the soil feeds microorganisms, microorganisms break nutrients down to make them available to the tree. The tree absorbs the nutrients through the roots, grows, produces fruit, and the cycle starts again.
The term permaculture was first coined by Austrailians Bill Molison and David Holgrem in 1978. It draws upon both traditional and scientific knowledge. It can be applied to physical systems (eg. farms, gardens, cities) and to social systems (eg. organisational flows, business models, school curricula) anywhere. Permaculture DESIGN can be broadly applied to land-based, urban, social or economic systems. Permaculture includes:
Ethics
Principles
1) Observe, learn and work with nature
2) Start small and slow
3) Multiple functions
4) Redundancy
5) Beneficial relationships
6) Biological and renewable resources
7) Cycling resources and energy
8) Diversity and edges
9) Evolution and succession
10) Be creative
As listed on the Permaculture Institute of Eastern Ontario website
What is Permaculture?
It is an approach to designing a closed-loop system where every element involved is utilized to its full potential. Through a thorough oberservation of each individual element's inputs and outputs, we are able to place it in the most optimal position to gain maximum benefit with minimal effort. In other words waste = food. It's a cyclical effect where one element feeds the next one and at the end, the cycle starts again. For example, a fruit dropped to the ground from a tree, decomposes in the soil, the soil feeds microorganisms, microorganisms break nutrients down to make them available to the tree. The tree absorbs the nutrients through the roots, grows, produces fruit, and the cycle starts again.
The term permaculture was first coined by Austrailians Bill Molison and David Holgrem in 1978. It draws upon both traditional and scientific knowledge. It can be applied to physical systems (eg. farms, gardens, cities) and to social systems (eg. organisational flows, business models, school curricula) anywhere. Permaculture DESIGN can be broadly applied to land-based, urban, social or economic systems. Permaculture includes:
Ethics
- Earth Care: We take care of the Earth, because our well-being depends on the Earth’s well-being. We recognise that it provides our essential life support systems.
- People Care: Humans have had a significant impact on all living systems on Earth. We do our best to take care of the needs of people – ourselves, our families, communities and societies - in ways that are as sustainable and regenerative as possible.
- Fair Share: We design with abundance in mind. We recycle and share this abundance to better take care of the Earth and the people.
Principles
1) Observe, learn and work with nature
- Observe, interact and notice feedback. Feedback loops.
- Holism - everything is connected.
- Everything gardens - all organisms have an impact on their environment.
2) Start small and slow
- Smallest change for greatest impact. Minimum input for maximum output. Do less.
- Small scale and intensive.
- Better to learn from small "mistakes".
3) Multiple functions
- "Stacking functions" - every part (element) of the system serves multiple purposes.
- Obtain a yield - every part is productive.
4) Redundancy
- Every vital function is taken care of by multiple parts (elements).
5) Beneficial relationships
- Stability and resilience come from having more useful connections between parts.
- Cooperation is a part of natural systems.
- In a physical design, think of the “relative location” of elements.
- "Zones" – Group things together based on their frequency of use or interaction.
6) Biological and renewable resources
- Incorporate services offered by nature - eg. worms to amend soil.
- Use resources that are renewable and abundant.
- Remember that people are resources too - use their knowledge, skills and creativity!
7) Cycling resources and energy
- From linear to cyclic flow.
- Waste=food - any output/waste can be food/input for another part.
- Catch and store energy - use a resource as many times as possible before it leaves the system.
- eg. water, solar energy, nitrogen, carbon
8) Diversity and edges
- Encourage biological, social and economic diversity.
- Edges - the marginal places where two systems meet and mix are the most productive.
- Foster innovation and creativity.
9) Evolution and succession
- Work with time, design with a vision of the future in mind.
- Work towards mature, self-reliant systems, which require little energy input and are more resilient.
- eg. forest gardens - emphasis on perennials instead of annuals.
10) Be creative
- Problem=solution.
- Outputs are theoretically unlimited - only limited by creativity of designer.
- Make it functional and beautiful.
- Attitude contributes to the design
As listed on the Permaculture Institute of Eastern Ontario website
Design
Here is a breakdown of the steps one can use when designing a new system with
the permaculture approach:
Here is a breakdown of the steps one can use when designing a new system with
the permaculture approach:
- Observation - Surveying land, soil, people and wildlife
- Boundaries - Exploring the boundaries of the site and the project
- Resources - Taking stock on what you can use in your design
- Evaluation - Reviewing the information and priorities to find patterns
- Design - Placing elements and creating relationships
- Implementation - Considering how your plans can be made real
- Maintenance - Ensuring you will be able to look after it properly
