The word permaculture is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture and permanent culture and it refers to the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have diversity, stability, and resilience. In a sustainable way, landscape and people are integrated to provide their food, energy, shelter, and other material needs. There is no chance of a stable social order without permanent agriculture.
The natural way of practicing agriculture, maintaining the ecological system, and not strictly adhering to the systems followed in modern agriculture are some of the principles of the permaculture system.
Growing more food on less land, with more people involved, is an excellent way to bring people together from different regions all over the world and to learn about how we can grow our food in a way that restores our health and also the landscape. It is committed to preserving the environment. Building stable communities through harmonious interrelationships is one of the goals of the intentional system.
The top-down view of the patterns and relationships that emerge from system self-organization and co-evolution is emphasized. Patterns observable in nature and society allow us to make sense of what we see and use them in different ways. It's lack of application and development across many bioregions and cultures gave it an opportunity to be applied to human land use.
The concept of permaculture is more than just a fancy idea alone. The way of living, farming, and connecting to nature creates a closed loop of sustainable living. It is the integration of landscape and life forms that connects food, shelter, energy, waste systems, community, and design principles in a way that each element feeds the next in a harmonious process.
It is possible to achieve high yields and productivity while doing it in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way with the help of permaculture.
The aim is to facilitate abundance for the future of humanity by producing all food and material needs on a local level. Humans and nature are working together at the core of permaculture.
The progression to a productive, self-reliant system will be aided by the establishment of useful species like Comfrey and Prairie Coneflower. Black Locust can be introduced along fence lines to get the process off to a good start.
Perennial and annual plants are mixed together to provide food for one another in the system of permaculture.
The goal is to use our resources in the most efficient way. Being in harmony with the earth is what the permaculture focuses on.
For millennia, the idea of constructing agricultural systems has existed.
The core idea is that everything is interdependent. You work with nature instead of against it.
It is possible to achieve high yields and productivity while doing it in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way with the help of permaculture.
Some consequences of our current agricultural practices have not been addressed. So the task is to profoundly change our thinking and practices. Instead of exploiting natural resources until they are gone, we should learn to understand Nature, share in her abundance, and help guide the process.
Research, creating ideas, creating the design and presenting it are the basic stages of the design process. This is not a straight path. The process is better thought of as cyclical. As you go along, you will discover more ideas. We build a better design when we take a step back and look at what has already been created.
Now that you have a piece of land of your dreams, you are looking forward to using it. However, no one has explained to you how the design process actually works.
The design of sustainable and permanent growing areas are influenced by ecological principles. You won't have to work as hard once you establish the gardens because they can sustain themselves with little to no interference to be productive.
The integration of the landscape with people, providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material produce in a sustainable way is done in harmonious integration.
The system can and should include plants and other living beings, but it is not generally considered to be a permaculture design if it doesn't connect to the rest of the system.
Permaculture doesn't have a ready drawn out set of steps to follow. This is something that will be garnered as you go along and gain more knowledge of your own plot in a holistic manner.
If your farm was operated in a way that mimicked nature, what would it look like?
If you are just starting your first garden, now is a good time to get started with permaculture while in the design phase. If you already have an established garden, you can still transition to a more sustainable design.
No matter what the size of the land, the use of it can be made sustainable. If you are a home gardener, chances are that you are already practicing a form of gardening known as permaculture.
From the beginning, water systems and composting systems should be considered and be taken care of first in the layout and design of your space.
It is important to look at the bigger picture and larger patterns before diving into the details of the project. This is the way we clarify the patterns we see around us when we talk about sectors and zones. We use those patterns to inform our decisions.
Zones are one of the best ways to break down a system. The elements of our design can be boiled down to the wants of the human and plant population.
The elements like herbs, trees, vegetables are placed in our design according to their regularity of use. Those that sustain themselves with limited contact or thrive in isolation are located further away from the dwelling. Those that are to be tended to more often will be placed closer.
Zones make up part of the decision making process in permaculture. The levels of human activity, efficiency of movement, and human effort are what Zones are concerned with.