Permaculture

Permaculture

1/27/09

Well lets see, today was the second day of Permaculture, for those who dont know. I am involved in a 2 month programe about a holistic learning of sustainable permaculture, on a educational farm in the rainforest of St Croix, one of the US Virgin Islands.

Each week we focus in a section of the holistic understanding, there are 7 areas, with 7 weeks to be taught through hands on experience. this week is permaculter. last week was Farm based Education. if i can find time i will post some thoughts on it.

Any who... Permaculture what is it???

Permaculture stands for permant agriculture

PC (permaculture) design is a system of assembling conceptual material & strategic componets in a patter which functions to benifit life in all forms. It seeks to provide a sustainable and secure place for living things on this earth.
Definition from Bill Mollison's book
A Designers Manual

basically permaculture is the study the science the method the observation and action of meeting our needs in a fasion that does not take from teh earth and leave it scared, but rather, tends the earth in a way that helps the natural systems provide abundance for us and everything else. Instead of tilling the land and droping chenicals into the ground to control it, which ends up turning our natural topsoil rich land into barren desserts, (Check the facts), you could braodcast seed balls, and throw mulch over them, which helps speed teh procces of topsoild production up.

Instead of raping the land by conventional means of agriculture and land/homestead devolpment, by doing our way regardless of the natural cycle, permaculture observes the natural cycles and farms withen natures flow, develope land in a manner that pretects all living organisms from harm and destruction, and build houses that are eco freindly and built smart, energy effiecent.

Ethics of Permaculture.
1. care for the Earth
2. Care for the people
3. Dispersal of surplus

The really is so much more i could talk about, but i have got to catch some sleep,
however to get the real jist of permaculture, type in Bill Mollison into youtube and listen to him talk about it,
Bill Mollison is the "Godfather" of permaculture. he has written a few different books: Permaculter 1, Permaculture 2. Permaculture; A designers manual, Intro to Permaculture.
Check out Global gardens its a documentary about permaculture gardens around the world in varing gardens.

David Holmgram is also recognized as the Godfather of PC as well. He wrote Permaculture: Principals and pathways.