Introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture has three ethics and twelve founding principles that lay the foundation for its practices. I want to introduce these to you through examples of land management and conscious food choices that are available to everyone for both consideration and practice.
If my tone comes off as serious, well, I am. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for these past couple of decades, you’ve noticed shifts in our culture that revolve around renewal, connection, and sharing. These shifts cannot be ignored if we want to experience change in the deepest and most meaningful ways as a species and as a planet, and what I offer to you today is Permaculture: a way of life, business, agriculture, and consumption, that literally means “Permanent Culture,” or a way of life that is not only sustainable, but self-sustaining. As a friend and teacher of mine, Nick Tittle of Surplus Permaculture, puts it, “How would you react if I told you my marriage was sustainable? Doesn’t sound too great, does it? What about regenerative, life-giving, nourishing, permanent? Permaculture is about being more than just sustainable.”
So read on in this simple descriptive list format of a blog post, to dive into Permaculture, my passion, my lifestyle. Anything I share below is my personal interpretation of the ethics and the principles, so I welcome you to explore the work of so many other “permies” and consider how you already apply these principles, intentionally or accidentally, to your own life.
The Permaculture Ethics:
Photo Credit: https://permacultureprinciples.com/ethics/
Earth Care
Permaculture focuses on regenerating the land with nutrients and life, in a way that allows systems to sustain themselves with the least amount of effort and the most amount of reward. I like to call it “design time” and “hammock time,” as do many other “permies.” This also means that humans focus on providing for the earth first, then allowing the Earth to return the favor.
People Care
In agriculture or business or society, permaculture ensures that people are nourished both physically and spiritually. Practicing the principles of permaculture is an extremely rewarding process; we experience the literal fruits of our labor and the enjoyment of our success by focusing on the Earth and one another before ourselves.
Fair Share
Everyone gets a fair share. There is no scarcity in a true permaculture system. In fact, there is abundance! Work = reward, sowing = reaping, and effort in is equal to or greater than the recompense on the other side, when mindfully applying the permaculture principles.
So here they are…
The Permaculture Principles:
Photo Credit: https://permacultureprinciples.com/principles/
1. Observe and interact
Land: In Permaculture, designers practice observing the land, ideally for 365 days, before creating a plan. This way, all seasons, types of weather, flora and fauna can be observed in their natural annual cycle. To observe before interacting, or to see how nature takes its course before acting based solely on personal interest, allows the designer to work with nature rather than against it, reaping the benefits rather than fighting the tendencies of areas that hold water, endure hot sun, grow tufts of wild edibles, or house an endangered migratory animal.
Food: Bioindividuality recognizes that all DNA is unique and no body is therefore the same. This also means that each body has specific nutrient requirements and types of food that will benefit it the most. It is important to observe the bodies needs, cravings, energy levels, aches and talents before interacting and deciding what enters the mouth.
2. Catch and store energy
Land: Sunlight and water tend to be the main focal points when discussing capturing and storing energy. Recognizing the sunniest areas of the land and their timing is significant if we wish to utilize this energy upfront and store it for later use. Additionally, as many of us recognize, water is a precious and fleeting resource. By capturing water in ponds, rain barrels and other natural cisterns, we can have and use water when it is not falling from the sky.
Food: Food IS energy. Of course, a particular food’s nutritional value varies based on seasonality and how far it has to travel to get from the live plant to our plates. Seasonal eating can be a way of capturing all of the energy and nutrients that food has to offer. Preserving the harvest, through curing/freezing/drying/canning is also another method of storing this energy for later use.
3. Obtain a yield
Land: It is important to have productive land. After all, if there is no return on investment, then the model is not sustainable (and we will eventually run out of time, money and/or resources). The goal is to obtain a harvest, in many meanings of the word, and ensure that energy invested < energy returned. This model is that of a self-sustaining model, or a model of abundance. Sustainability means equal inputs and outputs, which is exhausting because the model is not headed in any direction (especially upwards). Permaculture is about self-sustaining models, not just sustainable models.
Food: The food that we put into our mouths should create energy as a product in our bodies. If our current diet does not create energy, then we are not “obtaining a yield” or any healthy gain from our investment (caloric or monetary).
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
Land: This principle is very potent at this time here on Earth. Whether we like it or not, the planet has regulatory mechanisms in place that keep it functioning to cool and heat it, clean the air, filter the water, and circulate our oceans. We are noticeably experiencing feedback with the rising temperature of our oceans, extreme weather events, mass extinctions and more. Much of this feedback is in fact due to the human species’ lack of self-regulation; we are instead exploiting non-renewable resources, and as a result, the Earth is responding.
Food: This can be thought of in various ways, but I like to apply it to mindfully considering what we put in our bodies and how they respond. We have to tune into what our bodies say to certain foods (or cravings) and accept the feedback we receive, if our body says, “yes this is nourishing, give me more” or, “stay away from me, this is damaging.”
5. Use and value renewable resources and services
Land: In light of the previous concept, we should focus on renewable resources to keep nature’s various positive and negative feedback loops in check. Not only should we focus on resources that will “cut and come again,” but we need to value these resources and still use them wisely. As one example, although a certain annual plant may be a renewable resource, if we use and harvest it immediately, we must wait a whole year before we can sow the seed and wait to use it again. Instead we can savor and preserve the harvest, or even focus on perennial plants, plants with multi-seasonal life-spans, or plants that produce a constant harvest.
Food: Is the food you eat 100% renewable? If it is grown or raised, then the chances are your answer is yes. BUT, is it wrapped in a non-renewable package? Does part of its waste go into the landfill instead of the compost pile? Think about foods that nourish yourself AND the planet, where 100% of its contents (and packaging) is a resource that is easy to renew.
6. Produce no waste
Land: Any system that produces waste is an inefficient system. Now, an abundant harvest that is too much for immediate consumption is not necessarily waste, because it can be preserved, used as animal feed, or even composted back into soil to support the growth of new crops. Nature itself creates no waste. Humans, at the most basic level, do not have to either. Consider anything “leftover” after you use it: can you compost it? Re-use it? Re-purpose it? If you must, recycle it? Re-consider the traditional reduce/reuse/recycle triangle and instead think of a beautiful trapezoid: REFUSE (do you really need it?)/REDUCE (do you really need that much of it?)/REUSE (can you wash and repeat?)/REPURPOSE (if not for its original use, how can you creatively utilize it?)/RECYCLE (a last resort, send it off to be melted down and created into something else – this step is last, because it is very energy-intensive).
Food: Choose fresh, seasonal food that does not require packaging that must go into a landfill (no packaging is often best for the planet AND our health). Then, choose only enough for what you need to nourish yourself. Next, if there are leftovers to preserve, do so. Finally, if the leftovers cannot be saved, compost them! If you do not have access to a bin in your own yard, make a friend with a yard and inspire them about the necessity of composting – share in the work!
7. Design from patterns to details
Land: It is easy to know what we want from our land, but it is important to first observe its patterns and what already exists. From there, we can harness the existing patterns to build abundant and resilient systems, and add in detail work. We may know we want to grow a specific crop, but first, where is the sun on the land? Does it flood anywhere? How is the soil? Is it even the right season? How do the neighbors feel about your front yard garden idea? Take into consideration the natural and social patterns that exist and harness them to create an ideal system that is already supported by the existing foundation. Add in your details next.
Food: When it comes to healthy eating, regimens can be helpful. I first design a pattern, or template, of each day of the week: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. Then, I see what I already have in my cupboards and fridge, to come up with meals for the week and save money and time. Next, I decide on meals I wish to eat, adding them to the template, and finally, I write out the detailed grocery list to go shopping. The pattern provides a healthy structure to fall back on and I save money and time by observing before interacting.
8. Integrate rather than segregate
Land: Ever heard of intercropping? How about companion plants? Tree guilds? All of these methods involve integrating many types of plants into one community, to boost each other’s growth, protect one another from pests, and even source and provide nutrients from the air or deep down in the ground. This method of integration builds resilience and creates a system that requires very little effort, besides planning, on part of the human designer.
Food: Spinach has iron, but the body cannot absorb all of it; however, if you add vitamin C (like strawberries on a spinach salad), suddenly, your body can absorb much more. Kale has calcium, but adding magnesium to the mix (like pumpkin seeds) also boosts bioavailability or nutrients available to the body for absorption. Turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory, yet its absorption is boosted by black pepper and ginger to become even more potent. Integrate rather than segregate your foods and supplements [with mindful combination].
9. Use small and slow solutions
Land: My favorite example of this principle is building fertile soil. This takes time, if you want the fertility to not only last but also continue to increase over time (much unlike traditional and conventional methods of agriculture). When I first interact with a large piece of land, I add a cover crop, or a crop that will fix nitrogen into the soil and also loosen it naturally. Crimson clover, millions of tiny seeds scattered over dead land, comes to life and invigorates the soil with nitrogen-fixing nodules. After it flowers and the plant is at its peak nutrient and nitrogen content, I add a layer of leaves, cardboard and mulch on top, allowing it to flatten and compost into the ground. I might do this process 2-3 more times, waiting seasons or years between each round, before I can begin to use the soil in a way that will pull nutrients rather than provide them. But, I have a deeply established layer of “black” gold that is teeming with life and ready to provide for what I want and need with this small and slow solution.
Food: When we first begin our quest of healthy eating, we often jump right in, all or nothing, and this creates an unnecessary challenge and often disappointing struggle, that puts us back at square one. Small and slow solutions, like changing one ingredient at a time, or one meal a day, to a healthy alternative, can cultivate a sustainable practice that then becomes habit. That one meal becomes two, then three, and all of a sudden it’s a lifestyle.
10. Use and value diversity
Land: Diversity = Resilience. When one variety of crop is attacked by disease or pests, another prevails, and a harvest remains. Diversity in a community, made up of many talents, allows us as individuals to become focused on a skill or trade, without stretching ourselves in too many directions, and we can benefit from one another with time to focus on ourselves. This can apply in farming or everyday life!
Food: One of the best ways to obtain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need on a cyclical basis is by eating a variety of foods (fruits and vegetables). It is important to also value diversifying our day-to-day choices to avoid food intolerances that can develop because of repetitive consumption. Egg & peanut allergies often arise later in life due to frequent ingestion, such as eating large quantities on a daily basis, and leave our bodies with an alarm response rather than an accepting invitation. Are you getting everything you need from a variety of foods or focusing too much on a select few?
11. Use edges and value the margin
Land: The place where two ecosystems meet, or the edge of each of these systems, is where we experience the greatest diversity of species. Boundaries meet to create an entirely different environment – where forests meet fields, where shade meets sun, where water meets land, where mountain meets valley – and the interaction allows certain, especially rare, organisms to thrive. From a garden perspective, where garden bed meets fence is a trellis for climbing crops like beans and cucumbers; where road meets yard is a place for planting a wind-break like sugar cane, bamboo, or a favorite berry-bearing shrub; where the shade of a big tree meets the intense sunny spot in my backyard, is a safe place for those plants that can’t quite handle too much (or too little) light.
Food: It’s all about balance. I value the space between 100% plant-based and incorporating animal products to make informed choices and learn more about the origins of my food. If I choose to eat eggs, I’ve learned to ask questions about the location, daily habits, and feeding regimens of the chickens (or my decision to raise my own birds). If I choose to eat fish, I can utilize the many educational resources published by researchers and activists to make the best choice about a species that is abundant in our oceans, low in heavy metals, and local/seasonal in my region of world.
12. Creatively use and respond to change
Land: You can stick your head in the sand (of our ever-hotter dry, dry deserts), or you can acknowledge the change in our climate and shift in our weather patterns. This can be all doom and gloom, but it can also be an opportunity. We can creatively use and respond to the changes that are occurring on Earth by accessing brand new markets, creating brand new products, practicing ancient self-sustaining agricultural methods, and tapping into the connection between every human being to create a footprint that is one of positive change, positive environmental impact, and positive response.
Food: We can go as deep as we want here. Simply, we can see what’s left in the cabinet and whip up a creative dish with what is on-hand. On the next level, we can see that eating locally, seasonally, and a mostly plant-based diet is the direction our species must go to reverse much of the negative pollution and excessive consumption of non-renewable resources on this planet. Use this time to explore what is already available to you, whether that be the can of beans in the back of the cupboard or edible weeds growing in your yard.
So where does this leave you now? How are you feeling?
I want to know your thoughts, perhaps reactions, or even ways that you see permaculture fitting into your life, now.
As always, you can drop me an email: plantd.services@gmail.com. I’m happy to talk business and see what I can offer you to provide “small and slow solutions” to radically grow your health and allow you to live abundantly.
If you are interested in taking a Permaculture and Design Course, I am happy to share a number of listings happening this year and in 2018 around the world.
Designing from patterns to details,
Allie
Certified Permaculture Designer
Certified Permaculture & Design Instructor