Permaculture is the bridge…
Last weekend, I had the honor of observing permaculture design students present their preliminary designs. This was an opportunity for students to showcase all their hard work and the knowledge they’ve gained about permaculture so far. As I watched students present creative and unique designs ranging from personal homes to a playground, community center, and artist event center, I realized that the permaculture process is the step between our current reality and the future we wish to create.
Whether we are talking about taking a lawn from a barren monoculture to a productive, vibrant landscape or transitioning our culture from one of selfish, short-sighted extractivism to one that sees humans as members of the web of life, we need systems and frameworks that will get us there.
Permaculture is a practical framework that bridges the chasm.
The permaculture process is a highly effective framework to go from dream to reality.
It starts with learning the Ethics and Principles, and how to apply those in all areas of your life. From there, students learn the mapping process, applying the concepts of Zones, Elements, and Sectors to their projects. After completing a map, it’s time to implement the design and start living the ethics and principles in real time.
Here’s an example of how this might work:
When first considering a project (whether it be land-based or people-based), a certain set of solutions might come to mind. These solutions seem obvious based on past experience, what others are doing, what the media promotes etc. Perhaps you decide to install raised beds at the back of your lawn, near the fence, because that’s what your mom did when you were a kid, or your company decides to switch to a lower quality product to save overhead costs.
Here’s where the permaculture process gets going by asking you to SLOW DOWN and explore why you are making these choices, and examine if they are in line with the Ethics and Principles.
Sure, reducing costs by switching to a lower quality product might help you Obtain a Yeild (of cash), but it is in conflict with the ethics of Earth Care and People Care. Is there a different way to Obtain a Yeild? Can you Observe and Receive Feedback from customers to figure out how to do that?
Putting your garden beds at the back of the lawn might make intuitive sense. Still, when you realize that this design style stems from the idea that food gardens should be tended by servants and kept away from the house so the owners won’t be associated with manual labor, it seems silly! In Permaculture, food gardens should be placed near the house, as close the door as possible. In Permaculture, this is called Zone One. That way, gardeners are more likely to tend the plants and use them when they are ripe.
Creating a permaculture map of your space or your organization can feel daunting, but it is just a series of exercises and thought experiments that build on one another to move you towards the most effective design possible. Getting your Zones, Elements and Sectors down on paper (or screen) helps you see where your ideas are in conflict with reality or with permaculture Principles and Ethics.
Once your design is complete and has gone through a few rounds of feedback and revision, it’s time for implementation. During implementation, you may find that your design is in conflict with the reality of time and budget constraints. That’s OK! the process is flexible, just make each new decision with the backing of the Ethics and principles.
Once you are living with your design, it’s important to periodically review how it is working. Make adjustments and let go of parts of the design that are not working. This part can be difficult as we get emotionally attached to certain outcomes, and when those don’t happen, it is hard to readjust, but it is key to remember that this is a living process that should evolve over time!
