Introduction to Permaculture

Permaculture Permaculture DesignDesign

What is Permaculture?What is Permaculture?

"

“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the

solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”

By Bill Mollison

Permaculture is the harmonious integration of all life kingdoms into agriculturally productive ecosystems and socially just environments, producing sound economic consequences. It’s a design science reflecting patterns in Nature that seeks to build interconnections allowing for energy efficiency and abundance of yield.

The Design ProcessThe Design Process

Bill Mollison and David Bill Mollison and David HolmgrenHolmgren

1978 Landmark publication Permaculture One begins movement

Bill’s Inspirations

Huge Huge MonoculturesMonocultures

No Diversity- Globalization

FOREST

FIELD

PLOW

DESERTDESERT

102_6778.jpg

Which way will we Which way will we go??go??

Design Scienc

e“A beneficial assembly of

components in their proper

relationships”

In commerce

zoneszones...the greatest change we need to make is from consumption to

production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of

us do this, there is enough for everyone. Hence the futility of revolutionaries who have no

gardens, who depend on the very system they attack, and who

produce words and bullets, not food and shelter." - Bill Mollison

Permaculture Principles

Relative Location-

Making Interrelationships

Multiple Functions for Every Element

Mulberry Tree:

Shade

Forage

Food

Nutrient absorber

Protection

Soil Builder

Entertainment

Multiple Elements for Multiple Elements for Every Function ( slow and Every Function ( slow and sink water)sink water)

Rain Garden Rain Cisterns

Swales are water harvesting ditches

and mounds on contour.

SWALESSWALES

Chinampas:Reconstructed Wetlands

Ditch and Mound

Increase land increase water

Increase productivity

Contour Hedgerow

DAMS GABIONS

Keyline DesignKeyline Design

GreyWater

GreyWater

Energy Efficient Planning

zones

Zone- Placing Elements in our Design based on Intensity of Use

Sector Analysis- Mapping wild, oncoming energiesWind (Summer and Winter)Sun(Summer and Winter)Noise Pollution ViewWildlifeFire

Nitrogen Fixing Plants

Bacteria ‘nodules’ growing on roots

of Nitrogen Fixing plant

• Fungus is the glue of the soil.

• 90% of plants have an association with a mychorrizal fungi

Use of Biological Use of Biological ResourcesResourcesChicken Tractor

Weeding

Fertilizing Tilling

Biological Resources-Biological Resources-Beneficial InsectsBeneficial Insects

Dill- Umbelliferous FamilyDaisy-Aster Family with Lady Bugs

Energy Energy CyclingCyclingSource

To

Sink

Small Scale Small Scale IntensiveIntensive

20 million Victory Gardens in 1943

They were producing 41% of the vegetables being consumed in the

USA

Food Not Food Not LawnsLawns

A house with two cars, a dog, and a lawn uses more resources and energy than a village of 2000 Africans.

DiversityNatural Forest Forest Gardening

Forest Forest GardeningGardening

Avocado-Canopy Avocado-Canopy Comfrey-Comfrey-

HerbaceousHerbaceous

Elderberry-Sub Canopy

Currants-Shrub Currants-Shrub Layer Layer Sunchoke-Sunchoke-

RhizosphereRhizosphere

Purslane-Ground Cover

Passion Fruit- Vine

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Time and Plant StackingTime and Plant Stacking

Accelerating Succession

Orchard with swale and N2 Orchard with swale and N2 fixersfixers

Edible Landscaping- Edible Landscaping- DiversityDiversity

Paw Paw-

Asimina triloba

Calcium

levels about

ten times

as much

as banana or

apple

Edible LandscapingEdible Landscaping

Corneilian Cherry- Cornus

mas

High Vitamin C Content

Edible LandscapingEdible LandscapingSaskatoon

Berry- Amelanchier alnifolia

Higher levels of protein,

fat, and fiber than most other fruit

Edible LandscapingEdible Landscaping

Black Chokeberry-

Aronia melanocarpa

Remarkable high antioxidant

activity

Edible LandscapingEdible Landscaping

Hardy kiwi-

Actinidia polygama

Rich in Antioxidan

ts Vitamin E content

twice that of

Avocado and 60%

of calories

Guild designGuild design

Edge EffectEdge Effect

Edge EffectEdge Effect

Protracted and thoughtful

observation rather than

protracted and thoughtless

labor

Least Change Least Change for Greatest for Greatest AffectAffect

Don’t fight the weeds, grow the weeds !

•Cover Cropping•Cover Cropping

•Mulching

•Mulching

Feeds Soil Organisms

Regulates Soil Temperature and

Humidity

Protects from Erosion

Tree Tree CropsCrops

Urban Permaculture

The Design Process