Plants are selected and planted according to the way they help one another. Animals also play key roles in garden sustainability. Free-range chickens, for example, can help fertilize and work up the soil and control insect pests, while providing nutrient-packed eggs; humans, meanwhile, provide shelter, security, a water source and supplemental food. Surplus produced in these gardens is freely shared. “Many permaculturists are con- cerned about their relationships with others—all others—and the planet,” continues Wilson. “We believe that it is possible to redesign our lives to provide an abundance of food, fiber, energy and shelter for every person on this planet, while dramatically improving overall quality of life.” He notes that only 20 percent of the permaculture process is about growing food. “Permaculture is the big picture,” agrees Heather Lanier, who has devel- oped a plan for Hill of the Hawk Farm, in Big Sur, California. “It’s about how relationships are built and how these relationships help care for one another in the circle of life.”
At her farm, the staff are trans- forming abandoned chicken coops into living spaces and artist studios, and planting a forest garden that will provide shade and fresh fruit, while attracting beneficial insects. Chickens and ducks meander around a series of ponds that collect water in preparation for the region’s long dry season.
GO-TO PERMACULTURE EXPERTS
General Education Permaculture Activist,
PermacultureActivist.net
Urban Permaculture Guild,
UrbanPermacultureGuild.org
Regional Workshops Esalen Institute,
Esalen.org
Glacial Lakes Permaculture,
GlacialLakesPermaculture.org
Midwest Permaculture,
MidwestPermaculture.com
Permaculture is for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place.
Just down the road, the Esalen Institute offers educational workshops, which Lanier’s staff have attended. An instructor there also helped complete the permaculture plan for Lanier’s property.
Place-Based Living Permaculture is equally appropriate for the urban and suburban areas where most Americans now live, says Wilson. “It’s for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place.”
He and other permaculture en- thusiasts maintain that, “With more and larger settings, together we can have a great positive effect on the total environment.” When it comes to the potential for rural areas, “We can har- vest a far greater amount of resources than we do now—water, sun, carbon dioxide and wind—and greatly im- prove productivity, while improving the overall quality of the region.” However, he quickly clarifies: “One can be very successful in small spaces, too.”
John D. Ivanko is the co-author of Rural Renaissance, describing Inn Seren- dipity’s journey toward sustainability (
InnSerendipity.com), based in part on permaculture and onsite generation of wind and solar power.
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39
Courtesy of John D. Ivanko
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