Notes from the Introduction to Permaculture Workshop
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimics the relationships found in natural ecologies. It was first developed practically by Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer on his own farm in the early 1960s and then theoretically developed by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and their associates during the 1970s in a series of publications.
Central to permaculture are 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. Here are the 12 principles of permaculture as described by David Holmgren.
- Observe and Interact – “Beauty is in the mind of the beholder”
By taking the time to engage with nature we can design solutions that suit our particular situation. - Catch and Store Energy – “Make hay while the sun shines”
By developing systems that collect resources when they are abundant, we can use them in times of need. - Obtain a yield – “You can’t work on an empty stomach”
Ensure that you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the working you are doing. - Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback – “The sins of the fathers are visited on the children of the seventh generation”
We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems can continue to function well. Negative feedback is often slow to emerge. - Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services – “Let nature take its course”
Make the best use of nature’s abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources. - Produce No Waste – “Waste not, want not” or “A stitch in time saves nine”
By valuing and making use of all the resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste. - Design From Patterns to Details – “Can’t see the forest for the trees”
By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go. - Integrate Rather Than Segregate – “Many hands make light work”
By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other. - Use Small and Slow Solutions – “Slow and steady wins the race” or “The bigger they are, the harder they fall”
Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes. - Use and Value Diversity – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides. - Use Edges and Value the Marginal – “Don’t think you are on the right track just because it’s a well-beaten path”
The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system. - Creatively Use and Respond to Change – “Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be”
We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing and then intervening at the right time.
Simple Techniques:
Sheet Mulching-
The best way to remove a water- and nutrient-hungry lawn is to turn it over with a shovel, or at least weed eat it down to the ground. Don’t throw away all of the debris, leave it lying on top as your first layer of organic matter.
Then, you can begin to layer materials which will build soil, prevent erosion, protect the soil from drying out and help to suppress weed growth. I usually follow with this sequence of layers: well-rotted animal manure, straw, compost, newspaper or cardboard, and finally a top layer of woodchips. You can let this all sit and compost for a few months (best scenario), or if you are in a hurry, just cut holes in the cardboard and stick your plants into the sheet mulch. The heat from the decomposition usually benefits the plants’ root systems.
Now you can water less, weed less, feed your plants less and build soil all for minimum cost and effort.
Swales –
A swale is a fancy word for “ditch”. We use these to catch and store water as it flows through our hilly landscapes. You basically dig a ditch along the contours of a steep hill and mound the soil on the low side. The swale doubles as a path, so you continue along until you have made the entire hill accessible. Then, fill the ditch about halfway with woodchips, so in heavy rains you don’t get your feet all muddy. Now you can plant trees and shrubs right into the mounds that you’ve made on the downhill sides of the paths. All of the water that would have normally washed right down and off of your land (along with a generous portion of topsoil) has now been captured for long-term storage and use by your trees!
Resources:
Golden Gate Fields – off of Buchanan St. exit from I-80 in Berkeley. Good source of inexpensive straw bales.
Grizzly Peak Stables – 271 Lomas Cantadas, Orinda CA. They will fill your pickup truck full of composted horse manure for free! Or just bring buckets if you don’t have a truck.
Ploughshares Nursery – 2701 Main St, Alameda CA. Excellent source of nutrient accumulators, nitrogen-fixers and other useful permaculture plants, as well as free wood chips (donations accepted).
Jeremy Watts – Edible Landscaper, Permaculture designer, orchardist, educator. jeremyjwatts@gmail.com