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  • From: "Kenneth Benway" <ken@arcadiandesign.org>
  • To: <pcdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [pcdb] [Permaculture] Structuring Topics and Information
  • Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:21:17 -0400

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ken Benway and I’m a certified Permaculture designer from St Petersburg Fl.

Thanks for the opportunity to participate and contribute to this forum. I’ve been plugged into the Permaculture thread for about a week now and find it very exciting. Lawrence F. London, Jr suggested that I join this group and get involved in supporting the Permaculture database effort. Below I’ve pasted the content of an email I posted on the main permaculture thread as an introduction to a few ideas I had regarding structuring topics and information. I hope it is helpful and I look forward to working with this group.

Sincerely,

Ken Benway

Arcadian Design

www.kenbenway.com

 

 

Ken Benway wrote:

 

Hello Everyone,

            I've only been on board for a just a few days and I'm very impressed with the breadth of topics and the detailed information coming in from around the globe. I've been processing a lot of this information and had a few thoughts on how we might be able to categorize and compile topics and info in a manner that makes it easier for us to find important information as it accumulates over time.

            Under the subject section of our discussions I was thinking that we might start developing a structure that somewhat mirrors the Permaculture Design Manual table of contents and relates to land use by the zone, sector and bioregion characteristics and well as other Permaculture related content.

            For example: anything that relates to the built environment (homes, various buildings, infrastructure etc. might be referred to as

zonezero)

Such as zonezero-homes-straw bale, or zonezero-bridges, or zonezero-roads. To help us find information say, relating to lawns we might use the term zoneone-lawn-conversions or zoneone-perennials or zonefive-annuals. Say the topic being discussed has to do with getting rid of our lawns and creating biodiverse options. At my home in Florida, for example I have tried to make room for all 5 zones on the property. Although it is work in process, I've tried to identify at least a small area for each of the zones with the largest zone dedicated to zone one. My home is intended to be a demonstration site and it's important to give visitors an example of each zone on a relatively small urban site.

            I have a very unusual shaped lot, about 1/3acre, somewhat pie-shaped with the point being chopped off at the east side about 45 Ft in length. I have a wood frame house (1250 sq ft) with a detached two car garage (600 sq ft) and various walkways and brick patio areas (about 600 sq ft) for a total zone zero footprint of about 2450 sq ft. Since the total lot size is approx 14,500 sq ft. the zone zero footprint represents about 17% of the lot. I have several large oak trees on the lot and various native shrubs and small trees (mostly native) which I estimate to be about 2000 sq ft., for a total zone five footprint of about 13%. I am developing the remainder of the site with an emphasis on zone one estimated at about 8,000 sq ft. or 55%, zone two 500 sq ft or 4% and zone three 1500 sq ft or 11% (all citrus trees). Obviously these are only approximations and there is considerable overlap between some of the zones and using container gardening on much of the patio surface I am able to shift the zone zero to zone one.

            I know this may seem like a lot of unnecessary number crunching for no apparent good reason but I think it does help the reader visualize the functionality of the site in terms that are familiar to most of us.

            In terms of describing my bioregion, I am in USDA zone 10, (in the past 25yrs we've gone from USDA zone 9a to 9b to 10... Global warming anyone?) West central Florida, about 12miles from the Gulf of Mexico with an elevation of about 32 ft above sea level. I have bermed the west edge of he site (about 100 ft in length) to prevent storm water from entering the street. The site is relatively flat with a drop of about 5 feet running west to east. Sector characteristics change dramatically over the year, with prevailing winds shifting a full 360 degrees throughout the year. Rainfall averages about 60 plus inches, and our dry season runs from January thru May, even though we get rain at least once every month during the dry season. Our climate is best described as sub-tropical. We have not had a freeze in over 15yrs. Hurricanes are our greatest danger, and for some reason we have not been hit by any significant storm in the past 22 yrs.

            Once again, I am going into this extensive detail to demonstrate how describing things in Permaculture terms when possible makes our communication more effective.

            The main purpose of this exercise however is to begin a dialog as to how we might begin the process of improving how we identify topics in a manner that makes it easy for us to all to relate and share information and over time compile this information so we can continue to build our knowledge base and make it easier to retrieve this information.

            Maybe I'm wasting our time here. I hope not. I am looking forward to your input.

            One last note, there is a real need in Florida to identify plant guilds for zones one thru four. Zone five has been handled very well by the Florida Native Plant Society. Florida ranges from USDA zone 8 in the north to zone 12 in the Florida Keys. Soil is mostly sandy and low in clay content (there are exceptions) building carbon is our biggest challenge and is best accomplished through sheet mulching. Soil in the coastal areas has a PH of about 7 to 7.5 and inland from about 6.5 to about 7. Pine straw or bark is the most effective way to lower the PH using local resources.

            One of our goals is to create a Florida equivalent to Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway. Perhaps even a couple of versions depending on the USDA zone and one of the 12 or so natural ecosystems within our state.

            I appreciate any input you can provide in these areas as well. Sincerely, Ken Benway Arcadian Design St Petersburg Fl

 


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