WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?

Permaculture is a design method for creating regenerative human settlement systems based in natural patterns and processes.

THE THREE ETHICS:

Care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. They form the foundation for permaculture design and are also found in most traditional societies.

EARTH CARE

PEOPLE CARE

FAIR SHARE

COMMON SENSE PRINCIPLES OF PERMACULTURE:

(As described by Starhawk):

"The beauty of the permaculture way of seeing the world is that you will begin to see many more principles of regenerative systems not just limited to these 13"

Everything is connected – Abundance, health and happiness come not from things, but relationships. Money can’t buy me love! As designers, we look at connections in space and time. If we put things in the right place, do things in the right order and at the right time, we save work, money and energy.
“To every thing, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” We look at flows between things—flows of water, energy, nutrients, information. Every time we link things together, we create more abundance than when they are separated.

Nature moves in circles – Birth, growth, death and regeneration—everything in nature is part of a cycle.

Waste is food – one thing’s waste is another things’ resource. So—produce no waste, re-use, recycle, and look for places where we can close loops—find a use for a former waste product. Pollution is an unused resource. To maintain the cycle, we must give back. If we use a resource, we must replenish it.

Energy is abundant but not unlimited – Every day the sun shines down on the earth, showering us with energy. The sun’s energy gives us our solar budget—that extra that creates growth and abundance. But we must use it wisely. So—catch and store energy. Cycle energy and resources multiple times. Use renewable energy.

Do more with less – Make the best use of nature’s abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources. “Let nature take its course”

Produce No Waste – Make a way out of no way. Grow two flowers with one seed. Every element serves more than one function—so choose and place it carefully. A climbing rose, in the right place, might produce a bouquet, filter the wind, and keep out intruders.

Use on-site and local resources whenever possible.

Let nature do the work – if you can use a biological resource, chances are it will be cheaper, easier and more effective than chemical or mechanical means.

If it aint broke don’t fix it – Work smarter, not harder! Use your eyes and your brains more, and your money, your muscles and your fossil fuels less. Look before you leap. Observing, thinking, designing and planning can save you time, sweat and money. Resilience is true security.

Use and Value Diversity – For diversity creates resilience. This is true for ecosystems, gardens and humans! Give your plants the right companions in guilds, polycultures and crop rotations. Edges and margins, where two things meet, are often more dynamic and creative than either one alone, so make use of them.

Have more than one way to fill a need – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Have more than one source for food, energy, income, etc. Make mistakes— carefully! Start slow and small so you can try new things and tweak what doesn’t work.
Weak links and constraints – design for the limiting factors. Design for catastrophe—the hundred year flood could come tomorrow! Small-scale, intensive systems are more diverse, creative and resilient than giant megasystems.

Build from the ground up – First things first. Prepare the soil before you plant the seeds. Respect the roots of culture, place, and people as well as plants.

In nature, there’s a succession of evolution – pioneer plants prepare the ground, grasses move in, then trees…work with those patterns to speed them up or hold them back.

Take responsibility – Feed what you want to grow. Create the conditions that will favor the things or behaviors you want, rather than making war on what you don’t want. Trying to kill the pests simply breeds resistance. You break it—you bought it. If you change something, you become responsible for the consequences.

Monitor and maintain what you create – Permaculture systems rarely work perfectly at first; they are living things that need adjustment.

Get some! Obtain a yield – You’ve got to get back for what you put in. You have a right to a life of health, abundance, joy and beauty—and that’s why we’re doing this. Grow what you want to eat. Decide what yield you want, and plan for it.

Get the biggest bang for the buck – observation, creativity and planning will let you use the least amount of time, money and energy to get the benefits you desire. Don’t use a chainsaw to cut your cheese. The gift multiplies. Nature is generous—when we give freely, we create more abundance for everyone.

Creativity is an unlimited resource – Nurture creativity in nature and in people, and you will reap rich rewards. Focus on solutions rather than just complaining about problems. The problem is the solution. Look for ways to add creativity and you will add value.

WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?

Permaculture is a design method for creating regenerative human settlement systems based in natural patterns and processes.

THE THREE ETHICS:

Care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. They form the foundation for permaculture design and are also found in most traditional societies.

EARTH CARE

PEOPLE CARE

FAIR SHARE

COMMON SENSE PRINCIPLES OF PERMACULTURE:

(As described by Starhawk):

"The beauty of the permaculture way of seeing the world is that you will begin to see many more principles of regenerative systems not just limited to these 13"

“To every thing, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” We look at flows between things—flows of water, energy, nutrients, information. Every time we link things together, we create more abundance than when they are separated.

Nature moves in circles – Birth, growth, death and regeneration—everything in nature is part of a cycle.

Do more with less – Make the best use of nature’s abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources. “Let nature take its course”

Produce No Waste – Make a way out of no way. Grow two flowers with one seed. Every element serves more than one function—so choose and place it carefully. A climbing rose, in the right place, might produce a bouquet, filter the wind, and keep out intruders.

Use on-site and local resources whenever possible.

Let nature do the work – if you can use a biological resource, chances are it will be cheaper, easier and more effective than chemical or mechanical means.

If it aint broke don’t fix it – Work smarter, not harder! Use your eyes and your brains more, and your money, your muscles and your fossil fuels less. Look before you leap. Observing, thinking, designing and planning can save you time, sweat and money. Resilience is true security.

Have more than one way to fill a need – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Have more than one source for food, energy, income, etc. Make mistakes— carefully! Start slow and small so you can try new things and tweak what doesn’t work.

Weak links and constraints – design for the limiting factors. Design for catastrophe—the hundred year flood could come tomorrow! Small-scale, intensive systems are more diverse, creative and resilient than giant megasystems.

Build from the ground up – First things first. Prepare the soil before you plant the seeds. Respect the roots of culture, place, and people as well as plants.

In nature, there’s a succession of evolution – pioneer plants prepare the ground, grasses move in, then trees…work with those patterns to speed them up or hold them back.

Monitor and maintain what you create – Permaculture systems rarely work perfectly at first; they are living things that need adjustment.

Get some! Obtain a yield – You’ve got to get back for what you put in. You have a right to a life of health, abundance, joy and beauty—and that’s why we’re doing this. Grow what you want to eat. Decide what yield you want, and plan for it.

Creativity is an unlimited resource – Nurture creativity in nature and in people, and you will reap rich rewards. Focus on solutions rather than just complaining about problems. The problem is the solution. Look for ways to add creativity and you will add value.