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  • From: steved@ncatfyv.uark.edu (Steve Diver)
  • To: permaculture-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
  • Subject: Permaculture FAQ, Version 1.1
  • Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 22:27:09 -0600 (CST)

PERMACULTURE FAQ Version 1.1
February 1996

* The Permaculture FAQ is divided into three parts:
(1) introduction to permaculture
(2) the practical application of permaculture
(3) permaculture resources

* This FAQ was drafted for the permaculture-mg list
(permaculture-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu) and can be found
on the web at:

http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/faq.html
and
http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html


INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE

The word "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an
Australian ecologist, and his student, David Holmgren. It is a
contraction of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture."

Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and
food production systems. It is an approach to land use which
integrates human dwellings, microclimate, annual and perennial
plants, animals, soils, and water management into stable,
productive communities.

A central theme in permaculture is the design of ecological
landscapes that produce food. Permaculture design concepts may
be applied to single households or whole farms and villages. A
major emphasis is placed on use of food-producing plants and on
the integration of animals into the system.

================================================================
Permaculture Defined:

1. From Michael Pilarksi, founder of Friends of the Trees, and
published in International Green Front Report (1988):

Permaculture is: the design of land use systems that are
sustainable and environmentally sound; the design of culturally
appropriate systems which lead to social stability; a design system
characterized by an integrated application of ecological principles
in land use; an international movement for land use planning and
design; an ethical system stressing positivism and cooperation.

In the broadest sense, permaculture refers to land use systems which
promote stability in society, utilize resources in a sustainable way
and preserve wildlife habitat and the genetic diversity of wild and
domestic plants and animals. It is a synthesis of ecology and
geography, of observation and design. Permaculture involves ethics of
earth care because the sustainable use of land cannot be separated
from life-styles and philosophical issues.

2. From Lee Barnes (editor of Katuah Journal and Permaculture Connections),
Waynesville, North Carolina:

Permaculture ("Perm"anent "agri"culture and "Perma"nent "culture")
is a sustainable design system stressing the harmonious
interrelationship of humans, plants, animals and the Earth. To
paraphrase the founder of Permaculture, designer Bill Mollison:

"Permaculture principles focus on thoughtful designs for small-
scale intensive systems which are labor efficient and which use
biological resources instead of fossil fuels. Designs stress
ecological connections and closed energy and material loops. The
core of permaculture is design and the working relationships and
connections between all things. Each component in a system performs
multiple functions, and each function is supported by many
elements. Key to efficient design is observation and replication
of natural ecosystems, where designers maximize diversity with
polycultures, stress efficient energy planning for houses and
settlement, using and accelerating natural plant succession, and
increasing the highly productive "edge-zones" within the system."

Permaculture designs have been successfully and widely implemented in
third-world countries, but there is current need to expand these
principles in temperate climates, and especially urban areas to create
more enjoyable and sustainable human habitats.
=======================================================================

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF PERMACULTURE

Permaculture is not limited to just plant and animal agriculture. It also
includes community planning and development, use of appropriate technologies
(coupled with an adjustment of life-style), and adoption of concepts and
philosophies that are both earth-based and people-centered, such as
bio-regionalism. Many of the appropriate technologies advocated by
permaculturalists are well-known. Among these are solar and wind power,
composting toilets, and solar food cooking and drying. Information on
appropriate technology and homesteading is available elsewhere.

Due to the inherent sustainability of perennial cropping systems,
permaculture
places a heavy emphasis on tree crops. Systems that integrate annual and
perennial crops--such as alleycropping and agroforestry--take advantage of
"the edge effect", increase biological diversity, and offer other
characteristics missing in monoculture systems.

Thus, multicropping systems that blend woody perennials and annuals hold
promise as viable techniques for large-scale farming. Ecological methods of
production for any specific crop or farming system are, of course, vital to
permaculture and sustainable agriculture in general.

Since permaculture is not a production system, per se, but rather a land use
planning philosophy, it is not limited to a specific method of production.
Furthermore, as permaculture principles may be adapted to farms or villages
worldwide, it is site specific and therefore amenable to locally adapted
techniques of production.

As an example, standard organic farming and gardening techniques utilizing
cover crops, green manures, crop rotation, and mulches are emphasized in
permacultural systems. Yet, the use of the Keyline chisel plow, rotational
grazing, the Aerway implement in no-till farming, and a whole number of other
techniques are adaptable to farms working within a permacultural framework.
The decision as to which "system" to go with is site-specific and management
dependent.

Farming systems and techniques commonly associated with permaculture include
the Keyline method (soil and water management), rotational grazing,
agroforestry, swales, contour plantings, hedgerows and windbreaks, and
integrated farming systems such as aquaculture, intercropping, and
polyculture.
Gardening and recycling methods common to permaculture include edible
landscaping, keyhole gardening, sheet mulching, chicken tractors, solar
greenhouses, vermicomposting, spiral herb gardens, swales, and polyculture
intercrops. Water collection and management systems like greywater, rain
catchment, and Keyline play an important role in land use designs.

Permaculture is not about prescription farming, it's about designing
ecological landscapes that integrate farming and other human activities into
ecosystems with minimal disturbance. Permaculture advocates farm ecology, not
pharmacology.


PERMACULTURE RESOURCES

The two basic sources of information on permaculture are permaculture design
courses and permaculture literature.

The permaculture design course is the primary vehicle for transfer of
permaculture expertise. The standard course is 72-hours in length and lasts
two weeks. Graduates are issued a permaculture design certificate and are
entitled to use "Permaculture" in the pursuit of livelihood and for
educational purposes.

The permaculture literature is a rich source of information on a wide range
of topics dealing with appropriate technology, water management, land use,
energy-efficient and toxic-free housing, and plant and animal agriculture.


Permaculture Resources in the U.S.

The Permaculture Activist
Box 1209
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(704) 683-4946
Editor: Peter Bane
Cost: $16, quarterly

The Permaculture Activist is the leading periodical for North American
permaculture. In publishes articles on permaculture, edible
landscaping,
bioregionalism, aquaculture, etc, and provides a current listing of
upcoming permaculture design courses. It serves as an important
networking tool in the U.S., Canada, and Central America. Back issues
are still available.

The International Permaculture Solutions Journal (TIPS)
Yankee Permaculture/Elfin Permaculture, and
Forest Ecosystem Rescue Network (FERN)
P.O. Box 672
Dahlonega, GA 30533-0672
Editor: Dan Hemenway
Cost: $27.50, four issues

The International Permaculture Solutions Journal (TIPS) is published on
an irregular basis, but is a rich source of information. Prior to TIPS,
Yankee Permaculture put out a fantastic yearbook called The
International Permaculture Species Yearbook (TIPSY). The TIPSY series
is a goldmine
of permaculture information; much of the information is still quite
useful. FERN publishes a permaculture newsletter called Robin that deals
with
forest issues. Yankee Permaculture also publishes The Resources of
International Permaculture - TRIP. Volume 5 of TRIP, published in 1993,
is a 68-page issue that contains 1,540 listings of groups working in
permaculture, sustainable food systems, and tree-based agriculture.

Restoration Forestry
Friends of the Trees
P. O. Box 4469
Bellingham, WA 98227
(206) 738-4972
Editor: Michael Pilarski

Restoration Forestry (1994) is a 525-page guide to resources in
restoration forestry. It contains over 50 review articles, 780
organizations,
230 journals/periodicals, 800 books, 100 restoration forestry projects
underway, and 100 directories on topics relating to restoration
forestry,
forest ecology, tree seedlings, bioregionalism, and permaculture. It is
a massive addition to tree-based agricultural literature. Friends of
the Trees Society also publishes a newsletter, West Coast Permaculture
News & Gossip.

Other publications from Friends of the Trees include the International
Green Front Report (1988, $7.00), Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal (Vol. 6,
$17.20) and Third World Resources (1993, $5.00).

Permaculture Drylands Journal
Permaculture Drylands Institute
P.O. Box 156
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0156
(505) 983-0663
Cost: $25, 3 issues per year

Permaculture Drylands Journal (formerly Sustainable Living in Drylands)
is published in April, August, and December by the Permaculture Drylands
Education and Research Institute. It focuses on permaculture
concepts and designs for arid lands, with a heavy focus on New Mexico
and
Arizona. PDJ has published articles on straw bale buildings, solar box
cookers, dryland farming, and much more; back issues are available.
PDI offers a regular series of Permaculture Design Courses.

Temperate Bamboo Quarterly
Earth Advocates Research Facility
30 Myers Road
Summertown, TN 38483
(615) 964-4151
Cost: $24, quarterly

Temperate Bamboo Quarterly is a quarterly publication from Earth
Advocates, a permaculture team run by Sue and Adam Turtle. It focuses on
the
bamboo plant which has unique, multi-purpose uses. They also operate
a nursery with dozens of bamboo species.

Permaculture Resources
P.O. Box 65
56 Farmersville Rd
Califon, N.J. 07830
(800) 832-6285

Educational publisher and distributor of permaculture resources and
publications.


Permaculture Resources in Australia

Permaculture International Journal
Permaculture International Ltd.
P.O. Box PG6039
South Lismore, NSW 2480
Australia
Phone: (066) 220 020
International: (066) 220 579
Cost: U.S. $24, quarterly (available in the U.S. through
The Permaculture Activist)

PIJ serves as the leading periodical for permaculture worldwide. It
contains articles, book reviews, and news of permacultural events
around the world. It serves as an important networking tool.
Back issues to the early 1980s are available.

The Permaculture Edge
Permaculture Nambour, Inc.
P.O. Box 148
Inglewood 6050
Western Australia
Cost: U.S. $20, quarterly (available in the U.S. through
The Permaculture Activist)

The Permaculture Edge aims to report activities that are seen to be
at the cutting edge of permaculture developments around the world.
The "permaculture edge" refers to the "edge effect" found at the
boundaries of two ecological systems where there is more synergism,
biological activity, and variations in the microenvironment and which
can be used to increase yields in designed systems. It also points to
permaculture ideas as being "at the edge" of a change in the push
towards
a sustainable future.

Permaculture Institute
P.O. Box 1
Tyalgum, NSW 2484
Australia
Phone: (066) 793 442

The Permaculture Institute in Tyalgum, Australia, serves as the
coordinating organization for permaculture activities such as
permaculture design accreditation.


Permaculture Resources Around the World

Permaculture Magazine: Solutions for Sustainable Living
Permaculture Association (Britain)
Permanent Publications
Hyden House Limited
Little Hyden Lane
Clandfield, Hampshire PO8 ORU
England
Cost: U.S. $24, quarterly

A quarterly journal published in cooperation with the Permaculture
Association of Great Britain. It contains articles, projects, books,
and solutions from Britain and worldwide.

GroundCover
Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe
Box CY 301
Causeway, Harare
Zimbabwe
Telephone/Fax: (+4) 726911
Cost: U.S. $30, per year


KEY BOOKS ON PERMACULTURE

INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE by Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay. 1991.
Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, Australia. 198 p.

PERMACULTURE ONE: A PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENTS,
3rd ed (Reprint of 1978 ed) by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. 1987.
Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, New South Wales, Australia. 127 p.

PERMACULTURE TWO: A PRACTICAL DESIGN FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY IN
PERMANENT AGRICULTURE by Bill Mollison. 1979. Tagari Press, Stanley,
Australia. 150 p.

PERMACULTURE: A DESIGNER'S MANUAL by Bill Mollison. 1988. Tagari
Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 576 p.

THE BEST OF PERMACULTURE by Max O. Lindegger and Robert Tap. 1986.
Nascimanere Publishers, Nambour, Australia. 136 p.

THE PERMACULTURE WAY: PRACTICAL WAYS TO CREATE A SELF-SUSTAINING
WORLD by Graham Bell. 1992. Thorsons, London. 239 p.

THE PERMACULTURE GARDEN by Graham Bell. 1994. Thorsons, London. 170 p.

URBAN PERMACULTURE by David Watkins. 1993. Permanent Publications, U.K.
152 p.

PERMACULTURE IN A NUTSHELL by Patrick Whitefield. 1993. Permanent
Publications, U.K. 75 p.

EARTH USER'S GUIDE TO PERMACULTURE by Rosemary Morrow and Rob Allsop
1994. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW Australia. 152 p.

GETTING STARTED IN PERMACULTURE by Ross and Jennifer Mars. 1995. Candlelight
Trust, Hovea, Western Australia. 60 p.


A Few Good Books for the Permaculturist's Bookshelf

CORNUCOPIA: A SOURCE BOOK OF EDIBLE PLANTS by Stephen Facciola. 1990.
Kampong Publications, Vista, CA. 678 p.

DESIGNING & MAINTAINING YOUR EDIBLE LANDSCAPE NATURALLY by Robert
Kourick. 1986. Metamorphic Press, Santa Rosa, CA. 370 p.

TREE CROPS: A PERMANENT AGRICULTURE by J. Russell Smith. 1987. Island Press,
Washington, D.C. 408 p.

THE PERMACULTURE BOOK OF FERMENT & HUMAN NUTRITION by Bill Mollison.
1993. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 288 p.


ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF PERMACULTURE INFORMATION

1. Permaculture-mg Internet Discussion List

permaculture-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu

2. Permaculture at Communications for a Sustainable Future

http://csf.colorado.edu:8080/

3. Organic Gardening & Permaculture Information

http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/The_Sustainable_Farmstead.html
http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html

4. Permaculture Global Assistance Network

http://www.peg.apc.org/~pgan

5. Permaculture International Journal

Email: pcjournal@peg.apc.org

6. Cross Timbers Permaculture Institute

http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/

Email: 7539.1353@compuserve.com

7. Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute

Email: 103070.2354@compuserve.com

8. Correspondence Course in Australia on Permaculture

http://www.qldnet.com.au/acs

9. Permaculture List in Australia

perma@cessysv.eepo.dialix.oz.au

10. Dwayne's Home Page at Latrobe

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/nexus/Permaculture/permaculture.html

11. Amy's Home Page with Permaculture Material

http://wwwpub.utdallas.edu/~amyd/index.html

12. Carmela's Home Page with Permaculture Material

http://www.ozoline.com.au/permaculture/index.html

13. The Tree House

http://www.charm.net/~flora/>

14. Plants for a Future On-Line

http://www.liv.ac.uk/~rmorris/pfaf/index.html

15. Permaculture FAQ on the Web

http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/faq.html
http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html


===========================================================
* Compiled by Steve Diver

Send comments and updates to: steved@ncatfyv.uark.edu
or permaculture-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
===========================================================





  • Permaculture FAQ, Version 1.1, Steve Diver, 03/28/1996

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