Transcript
Page 1: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture and PovertyFrom Povertyto

Permaculture

Rich Thwaits

Permaculture Design Consultant

Mosinee, WI 54455

[email protected]

Page 2: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Introductions

My Background

My Discovery of Permaculture

My Presentation Style – Dialogic

My Goal – To build a lifestyle that repairs

the earth, nurtures my soul, and supports

others.

Page 3: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Introductions Continued

What’s your connection to

poverty?

When do/did you feel the most

fully human?

Page 4: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Where We’re Going

Components of Poverty

What is Permaculture?

Our Evolutionary Foundations

A Homesteading Proposal

Initiating Change

Page 5: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Payne’s Definition of Poverty

Poverty is the extent to

which an individual does

without resources.

Page 6: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What Resources are Important?

Financial

Emotional

Mental Ability

Spiritual

Physical

Page 7: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What Resources are Important?

Support Systems

Positive Relationships/Role Models

Special Knowledge

Hidden Rules

Permaculture

Page 8: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a system of design that focuses on how food, energy, housing, and water can tie together for maximum efficiency, with minimum work, to meet the needs of people.

Page 9: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from

throughout our past and present and from every corner

of the earth.

What makes it “Permaculture” is the intentional plan of

where and how these strategies work and meld

together.

The inspiration and guide for a permaculture plan

comes from observing nature’s patterns from the

simple to the complex.

Page 10: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

The Forces of Nature

Permaculture mimics nature. We learn about

permaculture by watching and observing

nature. Permaculture works with the forces on

nature, not against.

What about Human Nature? This plan works

with the forces of human nature, not against.

Page 11: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What Does Permaculture

Look Like?

Ron Finley- Guerilla Gardener

https://youtu.be/EzZzZ_qpZ4w

Growing Power – A Model for Urban

Agriculture

https://youtu.be/vs7BG4lH3m4

Page 12: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture Videos

Novella Carpenter

https://youtu.be/8yYO4L2vegE

Cob and Straw home building in Wisconsin

https://youtu.be/FZS2ZEN2bTs

Page 13: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Energy – Compost Piles

Jean Pain- The Father of Compost Heat and Biogas

https://youtu.be/JHRvwNJRNag

Permaculture, Homesteading, and Compost Heating: Ben Falks

https://youtu.be/oF5iL-nUGMQ

Page 14: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What Can We Learn From…

When We Face A Crisis? (War, Tornados, Earthquakes, Mining Explosions)

The Depression of the 1930s

People in Third World Counties

Native American Observations by Benjamin Franklin

Page 15: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Early Humans

Lived in groups. Groups have advantages

with getting food, shelter, and defense.

They were able to be in a group if they

contributed to the group. Productivity was

essential. They needed the group and the

group needed them.

There was quality within the group. Skills would

evolve into leadership roles. Possessions were

minimal.

Page 16: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Masanobu Fukuoka

I think that the way animals live in the tropics,

stepping outside in the morning and evening to

see if there is something to eat, and taking a

long nap in the afternoon, must be a wonderful

life. For human beings, a life of such simplicity

would be possible if one worked to produce

directly his daily necessities. In such a life,

work is not work as people generally think of it,

but simply doing what needs to be done.

Page 17: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Benjamin Franklin When an Indian child has been brought up among us, taught

our language and habituated to our customs, yet if he goes to see his relations and makes one Indian Ramble with them, there is no perswading him ever to return. And that this is not natural [only to Indians], but as men, is plain from this, that when white persons of either sex have been taken prisoners young by the Indians, and lived awhile among them, tho' ransomed by their Friends, and treated with all imaginable tenderness to prevail with them to stay among the English, yet within a Short time they become disgusted with our manner of Life, and the care and pains that are necessary to support it, and take the first good Opportunity of escaping again into the Woods, from whence there is no reclaiming them.

Page 18: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Benjamin Franklin

The Care and Labour of providing for Artificial and

Fashionable Wants, the sight of so many rich wallowing

in Superfluous plenty, whereby so many are kept poor

and distressed for Want, the Insolence of Office . . . and

restraints of Custom, all contrive to disgust them

[Indians] with what we call civil Society.

--Benjamin Franklin, marginalia in Matthew Wheelock,

Reflections, Moral and Political on Great Britain and

Her Colonies, 1770

Page 19: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What did we learn from the

Depression of the 1930s?

Though most all were in poverty, small farmers

weathered the storm the best.

Having land was critical to coping. Land allowed even

city residents to have chickens, rabbits and large

gardens. Lawns were a drain on resources.

Food preservation skills were essential to surviving the

winter and spring.

Close knit groups and families did the best. (We didn’t

know we were poor).

Page 20: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

My Proposal

Change from a money-dominated system to

a land and skill-based system.

Land is not just for a house, it becomes a

part of a functional, sustainable life.

Start a Homesteading System

Redesign low-income housing opportunities.

Page 21: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

My Proposal

Change land use laws to minimize lawns and build productivity.

Homesteaders take a PDC class with other potential homesteaders. Make a plan for your homestead.

Team with Habitat for Humanity (or similar group) to build home. Incorporate plan elements.

Page 22: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

My Proposal

The PDC class becomes your local support team to design and build together. Provide tools.

Learn about food preservation together.

Over time there would be a gradual shift from money-based dependency to a land and skill-based existence.

Page 23: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Homesteading There are thousands of local government owned

properties that need adoption. They are government owned because of unpaid taxes.

Use the principles that worked in the past to build a commitment to the land and build a new future.

Permaculture training would be a part of the application process.

Property ownership would transfer when commitments are fulfilled.

Page 24: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Build Community within

Communities

Permaculture Design Courses (PDCs) are a

good place to start.

Successful completion of a PDC requires the

development of a permaculture plan.

Commit to supporting each others’ plans. Build

a team. No one is alone.

Page 25: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Why It Could Work

Permaculture is a part of every level of

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

It supports a global climate need of

repairing the earth.

We’ve done this before. It’s what our

great grandparents did. It’s honoring their

contributions now.

Page 26: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Why I it Could Work

Permaculture is designed to make your life easier and better. It’s about learning new things.

It’s not a program for just a few. It has opportunities for everyone.

You can start as an individual or with others.

Page 27: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Why it Could Work Mental Health needs would lessen.

Physical Health would improve as activity is great for the body.

Family stress levels would go down.

It would lessen exposure to crisis. (Loss of Job, economic slowdown, health crisis)

Permaculture skills are yours always

Page 28: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

What are the challenges?

Some money will always be needed.

It doesn’t support big business.

Many people will not need to do

traditional work and others could look at

that negatively.

It will empower the disenfranchised. That

may be threatening to some.

Page 29: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Initiating Change

“It’s not that we fear the

unknown. You cannot fear

what you do not know. It’s

loss of the known that we

fear.” Anthony de Mello

Page 30: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Please give me feedback

What do I have to think about that I didn’t

mention here?

What are the biggest roadblocks you see?

Who could support this and team with me?

Page 31: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Additional Permaculture

Videos

Page 32: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Overview of Permaculture

This is Geoff Lawton, a central figure in

Permaculture. (He’s British)

“Permacutuur Inroductie”

https://youtu.be/aiefhvKX4w4

Page 33: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture in Action

This video shows how people are rebuilding their neighborhoods in Detroit.

Detroit Urban Farming Documentary

https://youtu.be/-sgd6GqCCHg

Composting and Vermacomposting: A Celtic Viewpoint

https://youtu.be/XH-x3FOoQns

Page 34: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

More Ron Finley Videos

Ron Finley: Gurilla Gardener in South Central LA

https://youtu.be/EzZzZ_qpZ4w

Ron Finley: Google Company Speech

https://youtu.be/pcyDe_nbEsc

Ron Finley at MAD4: Save Your Food, Save Your Life

https://youtu.be/oCMEuco1SZ0

Page 35: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture in Action

Will Allen is a Milwaukee resident who has been recognized around the world for his innovative urban farming.

Growing Power – A model for Urban Agriculture

https://youtu.be/vs7BG4IH3m4

Page 36: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Permaculture in Action

Will Allen is featured by Oprah. He’s a

Milwaukee urban farmer and creator of

Growing Power

Urban Farming Starting His Own

Revolution- Super Soul Sunday- Oprah

https://youtu.be/ILLLIcrmSDK

Page 37: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Building Cordwood Housing

This type of construction uses wood from

a nearby property. This is more common

than you might think.

https://youtu.be/-b5Adc8ur7E

Page 38: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Building Strawbale Housing

Hans van Dam “How to Build a Real

Straw Bale House”

https://youtu.be/Li3Qs_6H7ng

Page 39: Permaculture and Poverty · 2016-09-28 · Permaculture Permaculture “ties together” strategies that come from throughout our past and present and from every corner of the earth

Energy – Rocket Stoves

Rocket Stove Oven

https://youtu.be/ysf3EuP3fL8


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