Permaculture is an ecological design movement that aims to create sustainable, healthy, and productive human habitats and food production systems. It incorporates ideas from a number of different fields, including ecology and anthropology.
Many people have started regional permaculture groups to share information and resources about the practice. These are a great way to get involved and learn about how you can implement these principles in your everyday life!
Principles
Permaculture is based on a set of 12 principles designed to empower people to establish highly productive environments that provide food, energy, shelter and other material needs. Using techniques and principles from ecology, appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous peoples, permaculture teaches people to design a system that provides for all of their needs while also caring for the environment.
Permaculture can be used to design everything from a small backyard garden to an entire farm or homestead. The principles can be applied to any size project, and they can help you obtain higher yields from your plants while requiring less work overall.
The main permaculture design principle is that “many hands make light work.” This means that you shouldn’t segregate your resources or waste materials, but rather integrate them in a way that will benefit all parties involved. It’s also important to consider how your design can be made in a way that will allow for easy transitioning from traditional practices to more eco-friendly ones.
Practices
The practices of permaculture aim to mimic the patterns seen in flourishing natural ecosystems. They entail designing ecological human habitats and food production systems that harmoniously integrate dwellings, microclimates, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable and productive communities.
Unlike most conventional farming methods, permaculture emphasizes diversification. This ensures that farmers won’t become dependent on just one crop or animal for survival.
This is important because fluctuations in market prices or breed-specific illness can be devastating to a farm.
These practices also incorporate the principle of “plant succession.” This refers to the way that plant populations develop over time, transitioning from weeds to trees.
This is a great way to avoid using chemicals that can harm the environment. It also helps to reduce waste and save money by reusing the materials in the process.
Tools
Permaculture is a set of design principles and practices that seek to address human needs while increasing the health of the planet. This is done by building on a philosophy of working with, not against, nature.
There are a lot of tools and resources available for those who want to learn permaculture. These include books, courses, and online resources.
If you’re looking for a more hands-on approach to learning, consider attending a permaculture course or workshop near you. You’ll meet like-minded people and gain some experience.
In addition, you can also get involved with permaculture projects in your area. You can volunteer to help out at workshops and events, start work parties, and form links with other groups. These may be community gardens, watershed councils, social justice organizations, alternative economic networks, or farmers’ markets.
Resources
Whether you are interested in becoming a permaculture designer or simply want to learn more about the world of sustainable design, there are many resources available. These include classes and workshops, podcasts and books.
You can also find out more about permaculture by joining a local guild or organization and volunteering at events. These organizations often have social gatherings, work parties and a variety of other activities that can help you meet others who share your passion for sustainability.
There are also a number of online permaculture courses, which can help you learn more about the process of permaculture design. Some of these courses are free and can be accessed from any computer.
