Rethinking Lifestyle

This week I’d like to write about a concept that has had a strong influence on me since I first heard of it some ten years ago. Permaculture is a system of agricultural design developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1980’s, in response to concerns they had about the unsustainable and unsatisfactory direction they saw society moving. Their approach was to imagine a framework of ethics, principles and methods that would enable the creation of agricultural systems which last forever, while sustaining a maximum amount of human and non-human life – hence the name “Permaculture” (permanent agriculture).

Three key ethics emerged from their work: “Care of the Earth“, “Care of People” and “Return the Surplus” (to people & the earth). This simple and straightforward basis is what I find most attractive in the concept. I’m excited at the prospect of a new and thoughtful approach to agriculture that takes advantage of the tools and knowledge we’ve acquired as a species over hundreds of thousands of years. The Permaculture approach recognizes that no head of corn or field of beans grows without a complex interaction with the world around it. Insects, bacteria, wind patterns, pollinators, markets, water, sunlight, disease, and endless other factors will determine the yield. But the yield is so much more than corn. A single field can produce not one, or a dozen things – but hundreds to thousands. A water-managed field stores water though infiltration, preventing flooding downstream and protecting against drought. A windrow of trees creates a microclimate for higher crop production while growing wood and providing habitat for birds, animals and pollinating insects. Planting a variety of crops protects against disease and reduces the risk of crop failure, and incorporating livestock works and fertilizes the soil, providing yet another yield. This kind of complex layering is what Permaculture teaches. Careful attention often reveals that “the problem is the solution”, making waste into food and liabilities into assets (I’m thinking of the grass I had to cut, that made a phenomenal compost, for example). Of course, our current large scale agricultural and economic systems aren’t able to cope with such variety and complexity all at once. That’s why one of the main focuses of Permaculture is personal responsibility. The systems we already have in place are large and slow to change. That’s why it’s so important that we each, at our own level, make the changes first. If you have a manicured, gas-mown lawn, you need to understand that you have something more you can contribute. How does it serve the Earth? People? What are you giving back? On the other hand, what are you taking?

Permaculture techniques can be fun at any skill level, but you’ll need to try and fail sometimes. About half of the things I’ve tried have worked out fantastically when I gave them my full attention. My failures have mostly been because of my lack of knowledge, but fortunately I’ve learned from them (contact me if you want to build a Hugelcultur). Permaculture is more of a way of thinking than a set of rules. It’s about seeing everything you want to accomplish, and applying your energy intelligently – with nature rather than against it. It’s about prioritizing the earth and other people (those living and yet to be born), so that your decisions improve the world. If gardening isn’t your thing, then financially support the people and companies that produce more than just the products they sell. The goal is more than just to “do less damage” – it is to build fertility, reclaim land, and generate new resources.

I leave you with the twelve Principles of Permaculture, which you can look into in more detail:

1. Observe & Interact;
2. Catch & Store Energy;
3. Obtain a Yield;
4. Apply Self-Regulation & Respond to Feedback;
5. Use Renewable Resources;
6. Produce No Waste;
7. Design from Pattern to Detail;
8. Integrate Rather Than Segregate;
9. Use Small & Slow Solutions;
10. Use & Value Diversity;
11. Use the Edges;
12. Creatively Use & Respond to Change.