Have you heard of permaculture but aren't quite sure what it is? Maybe you are under the impression that permaculture is a specific type of organic gardening. Or maybe this is something completely new to you! Permaculture is a term that has been around since the 80s but only recently seems to be getting more exposure. Coined by the inventor of permaculture, Bill Mollison, this humble word describes an entire lifestyle. It explains a dream for a new type of society that can be achieved through a deeper understanding of nature and our place within it as humans. Read on to learn what exactly permaculture is, and how you can become part of this growing movement to heal the planet.
The Fundamental Idea Behind Permaculture
Having gotten a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, I honestly graduated college pretty depressed about the state of the Earth. We studied the problems faced by our environment in great detail and with a generally pessimistic outlook for the future of humanity. It felt as though we were being taught to believe that humans were a plague to the planet and if we didn't all promptly go extinct, Earth had no hope of survival. This mindset has a paralyzing effect on otherwise well-meaning people. So many times I have heard someone tell me how their one little action would make no difference in the grand scheme. Friends make sarcastic comments about the state of the Earth and then laugh it off. Whether environmentally conscious or not, most of our species feel pretty helpless about our ability to correct the damage that has been done to our home through multiple generations of neglect and abuse.
Fortunately, Permaculture is the antidote to this mindset. First introduced to me by my husband over a decade ago, I didn't understand it as much more than a method of forest gardening. It sounded pretty cool and the food forest idea revolutionized my limited knowledge of gardening. It was years, however, before I truly began to understand the principles behind Permaculture, and it honestly started to blow my mind. Even as a person who has been obsessed with environmentalism and was actively living as a conservationist since I was a child, the idea that humans were somehow independent of nature had still managed to infiltrate my thought process. As I started to gather information on permaculture and finally began reading one of Bill Mollison's books, my inherent bias started to shift. I was able to see myself as an active participant in the natural world, and as someone who could not just minimize my negative impact, but actually reverse it!
Permaculture is based on three main principles, Earth Care, People Care and Future Care. If we can make choices in our lives based on these motives, we will start to see the positive effects happening all around us.
Earth Care
Caring for the earth doesn't just mean recycling and picking up trash. It means taking an active role in our own existence and in all of the resources that we rely on for our own survival. It means intentionally providing habitat for the diverse and interconnected web of species that we coexist with and also for taking the time to interact with the natural systems we are part of! Simple ways of achieving this step include growing our own food in a way that promotes ecological diversity in our yards and cultivated spaces. We can harvest rainwater for use in these gardens and recharge natural water reserves at the same time. We can even design landscapes that will sink carbon into our soil and achieve a net-gain of energy that becomes stored within our own backyard. It isn't difficult to see how caring for the Earth will directly benefit us and all living creatures that we interact with on a daily basis.
Spending quality time participating in natural systems is important for our education. We can think of nature as a teacher that will provide us with all of the material we need to have successful cultivated systems right in our backyards. As we spend time observing wild ecosystems, we will learn more about what makes them successful. As we observe our own cultivated ecosystems, we will learn more about their strengths and weaknesses and how we can improve them. Just as a good conversationalist will listen in addition to speaking, we need to be sure that we fulfill the role of listener as we practice caring for our planet.
People Care
People care is the most widely publicized way of becoming a good person. Schools, churches, sports and clubs are all examples of institutions that promote caring for our own kind. So what does this mean in regards to permaculture? Sometimes the relationships we form between other humas can be of great benefit to all of the individuals involved and even for others outside. When we care for our own species, we will see the many ways this comes back around to us in the form of our community, shared resources, and ideas. Organic food has been associated with the rich and the privileged, but permaculture denies this ideology. When we practice permaculture, we recognize that all humans have a right to the nutritious and high-quality foods that are grown in our gardens by people who care for the Earth.
So, whether you are just dipping your toes in, or you have already taken the dive into the deep end of permaculture, there are an abundance of ways to practice people care. Grow an extra row in your vegetable garden this year and donate to your local food pantry. Volunteer in a garden at a hospital or nursing home. Share your resources with friends and neighbors. If you don't know your neighbors well, just bringing something you've made or grown to share with them could open up a beautiful new friendship! It has been proven to me time and time again how valuable the relationships in my life really are. When you trade services, resources and/or companionship with the people in your life, you will reap so many unexpected benefits while simultaneously nourishing a better society for all of the planet.
Future Care
Caring for the future is something that is very rarely considered in the society we live in. The vast majority of individuals and governments pay little attention to any timeline longer than their own lifespan. By neglecting the future, we condemn our offspring to suffering that could have been prevented, if only we had taken responsibility for the long-term effects of our actions. If we are to actively care for our own species and for the entire planet, we need to make 'future care' a meaningful part of our moral code.
The future can be difficult to consider, being that it is somewhat of an abstract concept. There is a Native American proverb which says: "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children". This quote is very much in direct contrast to the way our society seems to be modeled. Consumerism is based off of the idea that we all should grab as many resources as we can afford. This does not take into account any life that will come into existence after we are long gone. It also promotes perpetual dissatisfaction as we compare ourselves to each other. In order to effectively care for the future, we all need to examine the meaning of "enough". Recognizing when we have achieved "enough" is a huge step in becoming a permaculturist. The deep joys and feeling of fulfillment that result from this awareness are profound and life-changing!
Conclusion
While permaculture typically refers to a style of gardening, it is these three principles that make it differ so drastically from just another way to grow plants. Where many basic gardening methods are designed to maximize yield or to do something specific like minimize chemical use, permaculture gardens are designed to heal past damage done to the planet and to create a new society that benefits all life forms in a wide variety of ways. Permaculture is proof that the way we live our lives will directly influence our relationships with one another and with the ecosystems that we rely on for our survival. Join the movement and see how Permaculture can change your life! It has been an incredible journey for me so far and I still have so much more to learn!