Permaculture

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. It was developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s as a response to the environmental and social challenges facing modern agriculture. Permaculture is particularly well-suited to sub-urban or small farms under 5 acres, as it emphasizes intensive, diverse, and sustainable land use.

Ethics and Principles

Permaculture is based on three core ethics:

• Care for the Earth: Sustaining and regenerating soil, water, air, and biodiversity.
• Care for People: Providing for basic needs and promoting self-reliance, cooperation, and social justice.
• Fair Share: Redistributing surplus resources and setting limits to consumption and reproduction.

These ethics are applied through 12 design principles, which guide the development of sustainable and resilient systems:

• Observe and interact
• Catch and store energy
• Obtain a yield
• Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
• Use and value renewable resources and services
• Produce no waste
• Design from patterns to details
• Integrate rather than segregate
• Use small and slow solutions
• Use and value diversity
• Use edges and value the marginal
• Creatively use and respond to change

Zoning and Sector Analysis

Permaculture design begins with a thorough analysis of the site, including its climate, topography, soil, water, and existing vegetation. This information is used to create a zoning system that organizes elements based on the frequency of human use and attention required:

• Zone 0: The house or central living area.
• Zone 1: Intensively managed areas near the house, such as kitchen gardens and small livestock.
• Zone 2: Less intensively managed areas, such as orchards, larger livestock, and aquaculture.
• Zone 3: Minimally managed areas, such as pastures and agroforestry.
• Zone 4: Managed wild areas, such as woodlands and wetlands.
• Zone 5: Unmanaged wild areas, left for natural succession and wildlife habitat.

Sector analysis is used to identify external energies and influences, such as sun, wind, fire, and water, and to design the site to manage these factors for maximum benefit and minimum harm.

Design Strategies

Permaculture design employs a range of strategies to create diverse, productive, and resilient systems:

• Polyculture: Growing multiple crops together to increase diversity, reduce pest and disease pressure, and maximize yield.
• Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock to create multi-layered, productive ecosystems.
• Keyline design: Shaping the landscape to manage water flow and distribution for soil building and drought resilience.
• Hugelkultur: Building raised beds filled with rotting wood and other organic matter to increase soil fertility and water retention.
• Rainwater harvesting: Collecting and storing rainwater for irrigation and other uses.
• Composting and vermiculture: Recycling organic waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments.
• Integrated pest management: Using a combination of biological, cultural, and physical controls to manage pests and diseases.

Case Studies

Many successful examples of permaculture on small farms and sub-urban properties demonstrate the potential of this approach:

• Urban Homestead (Pasadena, California): A family of four produces over 6,000 pounds of produce annually on a 1/10 acre city lot.
• Limestone Permaculture Farm (New South Wales, Australia): A 1-acre farm that demonstrates intensive, diverse, and profitable production using permaculture principles.
• Beacon Food Forest (Seattle, Washington): A 7-acre public food forest that showcases permaculture design in an urban setting.

Challenges and Criticisms

While permaculture offers many benefits, it also faces some challenges and criticisms:

• Labor intensity: Permaculture systems often require more human labor and management than conventional agriculture, especially in the establishment phase.
• Economic viability: The diverse and small-scale nature of permaculture can make it challenging to compete with industrial agriculture in the marketplace.
• Scalability: Some question whether permaculture principles can be applied effectively at larger scales.
• Scientific rigor: Critics argue that permaculture lacks a strong scientific foundation and relies too heavily on anecdotal evidence.

Despite these challenges, permaculture continues to inspire and inform the development of sustainable and resilient agriculture, particularly on small farms and sub-urban properties.

Further Reading

Holmgren, David. Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability. Holmgren Design Services, 2002. < br/> Mollison, Bill. Permaculture: A Designers' Manual. Tagari Publications, 1988. < br/> Hemenway, Toby. Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009. < br/> Mars, Ross. The Basics of Permaculture Design. Permanent Publications, 1996.