Permaculture
Sophisticated ecological understanding blended with
common sense design creates productive landscapes
by Sego Jackson
One of the articles in Living With The Land (IC#8) Winter 1984, Page 40
Copyright (c)1985, 1997 by Context Institute
Sego Jackson is a farmer, permaculture designer, and director of the
Permaculture Institute of North America, located in Clinton, Washington.
ANY HOPE for the emergence of sustainable cultures must be based upon the
development of sustainable agricultural systems. No matter how just our
relationships with each other, regardless of the quality of our educational
experiences, despite our spiritual pursuits and freedoms, the sustainability
of our culture is at its root fundamentally dependent on our relationship
to the land, and especially on the sustainability of our production of food.
One approach to creating a sustainable system of agriculture has been
developed by Australian ecologist, Bill Mollison. Influenced by Aboriginal
ethics towards the land, painfully aware of the global environmental crisis,
and knowledgeable about natural ecologies, Mollison and colleagues began
to work out a process by which responsible people could purposefully design
their own productive eco- systems in which to live. Mollison termed this
process "permanent agriculture" or permaculture.
The overall goal of permaculture design is to establish resource and
energy conserving (including human energy) landscapes that are agriculturally
productive, that take into account and mimic, as much as possible, relationships
and processes found in the natural environment, and that approach the diversity,
stability and resilience found in natural ecosystems. The underlying philosophy
is that we are a part of the natural environment and not separate from it,
and that we must work with nature and its processes, rather than against
it. To achieve this, Mollison suggests that permaculture needs to be a process
"of protracted and thoughtful observation, rather than protracted and
thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions
rather than treating any area as a single product system."
Permaculture design was originally proposed to assist Australia's "back
to the land" movement. The design principles can be applied in varying
degrees, however, to window sill herb gardens, urban and suburban lots,
and rural properties, and have application to overall neighborhood and subdivision
design.
The basic permaculture principles and guidelines are as follows:
Let nature do it. For any activity that needs to be accomplished,
first consider if there are any biological or other natural ways to accomplish
the goal before considering mechanical and chemical means. This doesn't
mean that, in the final analysis, you will always choose the biological
resource, but you should at least be aware of the natural alternatives.
Do you need to fertilize an orchard? Consider a nitrogen fixing cover crop
like clover. Do you need a lawn mowed? Consider sheep or weeder geese, or
eliminate the whole problem in the first place by using a low growing ground
cover.
In like manner, consider natural ways to trap and utilize sunshine and
other renewable energies, water, and nutrients, keeping in mind that any
resource, not utilized, becomes pollution.
Integrate your functions. When considering the different elements
of a landscape, consider not only their products, but their functions. There
should be multiple functions for single elements. For instance, the
chicken is not only an egg, meat, and feather producer, but it can function
as a tractor, herbicide, pesticide, and a bag of fertilizer. If well placed
and managed, chickens can be used to prepare soil during planting with their
scratching. They will eat weeds and weed seeds, as well as numerous insects
and small slugs, all while spreading their nitrogen-rich manure. From this
multi-functional perspective, hedges, ponds, chicken yards, walls, fences
- all elements of the design - take on new meaning and purpose.
A related guideline is to establish multiple elements for single functions.
If you are in a high fire risk area, it would be wise to design your
driveway so that it passed across the direction from which fire is often
a threat, thereby acting as a fire break. It would be wiser still to also
locate the chicken yard, which will be fairly devoid of highly combustible
grasses, in this sector, as well as a pond or fire-resistant vegetation.
Likewise, if you have livestock to feed, include trees and shrubs as sources
of fodder, as well as grasses, so that you will be less affected by drought
or disease. Mimic nature by designing for resilience.
Plan the physical layout. The three main concepts here are zonation,
sector planning, and relative location. Zonation locates the various
components of the landscape based upon labor needs: those that require frequent
visiting and are labor intensive are located nearest to the area of greatest
activity - usually the house. Those that require less labor are placed farther
away. Imagine your house with a number of concentric circles drawn around
it, much like the rings of an onion. The house is zone 0, followed then
by zones 1,2,3, and 4. Ideally (the actual topography of the property must
be taken into account) the herb garden, salad garden with edible flowers,
and the like, are located in zone 1 - close to the kitchen door. Zone 2
is a good location for the annual garden, greenhouse, chicken coop, and
other landscape components that require daily or frequent attention. Zone
3 serves well for the orchard, perennial garden, and large stock housing.
Zone 4 is good placement for the wood lot and animal pastures - places that
only need to be visited several times per year.
Though zonation may sound simplistic and unimportant - it is not. The
result of poor placement of landscape components in relationship to labor
needs has been demonstrated over and over in the form of abandoned gardens,
failed homesteads, and home cooked meals devoid of fresh herbs and greens.
In sector planning, the landscape is divided up into wedge shaped
sectors, each radiating from a particular point or points (again, usually
the house). From these points, sectors are identified such as wind, sunshine,
fire risk, view, and noise. This information is then used in design decisions
to locate structures, plantings and use areas in such a way to be protected
from or benefit from these external inputs.
The relative location of each element to each other is next considered
to conserve energy (including labor) and resources. If the chickens, greenhouse,
and garden all require the installation of a water line, clustering these
three elements can reduce the amount of pipe required, installation labor
and money. A tool shed placed between the garden and the kitchen door encourages
the proper care of tools more so than one placed on the far side of the
garden. Each element should be placed relative to other elements, rather
than be viewed in isolation.
These principles and guidelines are used as you proceed through the design
process, which involves a clear defining of goals, a resource inventory
and site analysis, a functional analysis of the site, species selection,
design time-line and budgeting, and the final reality check against the
original goals. Though this may all sound like a lot of work, if you think
about how much time in your life has already been wasted, due to poor initial
planning and lack of design, the time spent designing will be very rewarding.
There is much for those of us who work in the area of sustainable culture
emergence to do, and our time and resources are too valuable to waste on
landscapes that are frustrating, minimally productive, and doomed to failure.
We would do better to design for success.
It is a good idea, if undertaking a design on the land you live on, to
involve a good friend or neighbor who does not live on the site. Often our
preconceived ideas get in the way of a design process and someone not so
emotionally involved can see additional relationships and design possibilities.
If desired, in some areas, certified permaculture designers are available
for consultation or actual design work. Also, there are rare permaculture
design courses that can give you a good background to work on your design.
Though the word permaculture was first coined in 1975, it described an
ideal that many had been working toward for a long time. As a result, it
has established a rapidly growing and committed group of practitioners and
followers world wide. There are permaculture institutes, associations, or
trained designers in England, France, Germany, Algeria, Canada, United States,
Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, and India. It is time for more of
us to get involved with practicing and demonstrating sustainability, through
our lifestyles and our landscapes. Permaculture can help us along this path.
RESOURCES
The Permaculture Quarterly, c/o Terry White, 37 Goldsmith St.,
Maryborough, Victoria 3465, Australia. The international permaculture journal,
with in-depth articles on various permaculture techniques and activities
around the world.
The Permaculture Observer, 6488 Maxwelton Rd., Clinton, Washington,
98236. This is the newsletter of the newly formed Permaculture Institute
of North America - reporting on permaculture design and methods in North
America. Starting publication date is March, 1985.
Mollison, Bill and David Holmgren, Permaculture One (Corgi Books,
1978, $12.50).
Mollison, Bill, Permaculture Two (Tagari Books, 1979, $10.95).
These books are responsible for the expanding permaculture movement. Philosophy,
principles, and specific design information are detailed in both. Written
in Australia, many of the species recommendations are relevant only for
the southern hemisphere, yet the books are important reading for all. Both
are available from the International Tree Crops Institute, PO Box 666, Winters,
CA 95694.
Fukuoka, Masanobu, The One Straw Revolution (Emmaus, PA: Rodale
Press, 1978, $9.95). A Japanese natural farmer tells of his philosophies
and techniques - perhaps the most important philosophical work on agriculture
ever written.
Smister, Carol, Nature's Design (Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1982).
This is the ideal guide book for those interested in developing site analysis
prior to creating a landscape design. Though not addressing permaculture
design, per se, the step by step site analysis procedure described
is invaluable.
Alexander, Christopher et al., A Pattern Language (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1977). This pudgy, expensive book (about $35) is worth
every penny to those remodeling or landscaping, and is a must for those
working in the fields of architecture, landscape design, and community design.
Human and environmental needs are laid out simply, such as "Southeast
sun in the kitchen" with an explanation and design suggestions. This
is followed by linkages to other patterns such as kitchen garden, and breakfast
nook.
Korn, Larry, Barbara Snyder, and Mark Musick, eds., The Future Is
Abundant (Tilth Assn., 4649 Sunnyside North, Seattle, WA 98103, 1982,
$12.95). A resource guide for sustainable agriculture. The numerous addresses
and references can save hours of library research and an extensive species
index will be of great use to those in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
Altieri, Miguel, Agroecology: The Scientific Basis Of Alternative
Agriculture (self-published, 1983, $11.00, order from 1050 San Pablo
Ave., Albany, Ca. 94706). A textbook that describes the science behind ecological
agriculture.
Quinney, John, "Designing Sustainable Small Farms And Homesteads"
in MOTHER EARTH NEWS, July/August 1984, p. 54. Covers the design principles,
guidelines, as well as the design process.
ORGANIZATIONS
THE PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE OF NORTH AMERICA (PINA), 6488 Maxwelton Rd.,
Clinton, WA 98236. PINA is in the process of developing a 23-acre permaculture
demonstration site and an educational and interpretive center on Whidbey
Island in Washington state. PINA serves as the networking center for the
numerous bioregional permaculture groups, a link to other international
permaculture institutes, and can make referrals for those wishing to hire
certified permaculture designers and trainees. Membership information is
available upon request.
THE NEW ALCHEMY INSTITUTE, 237 Hatchville Rd., E. Falmouth, Mass., 02536.
Conducts research, educational and outreach programs. Integrated greenhouse
and aquaculture systems of note. Now focusing on permaculture work.
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