permaculture

["April Sampson-Kelly" <askpv@ozemail.com.au>]

Well I am no engineer although I am married to one.
Frank, your headed in the right direction.  My answer is to talk to a lot of
people,
let them ramble, let them show you their property, try and access as many
permaculture
sites as you can AND look at what is doing well in the area you choose to
set up camp in.
Be careful of major pitfalls 'though - like starting out in a toxic region
or highly conservative
as these can be forces against you.
Having a sense of community is just as valuable as a good
rainfall and good soil site.
Check out my homepage - there are lot of permaculture tools you can toy
with,
there are links to some really great homepages closer to you.
If there were no formulas for permaculture we couldn't teach it- there would
be no common language
to discuss concepts and no building on previous generations of experience.
I DO agree that every site is different, but I could probably find a lot
looking very similar and to
the (self-professed) novice - this is something you should seek.
April

P.S.  no shame it not knowing -
we all know we could never know enough,
when I forget this I fill my brain with gallons of information
and forget my friend's birthdays.


-----Original Message-----
From: YankeePerm@aol.com <YankeePerm@aol.com>
To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu <permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Saturday, 22 November 1997 2:52
Subject: Re: Central Coast/Cal Poly Potent Info


>
>In a message dated 11/21/97 10:34:42 AM, you wrote:
>
>>Hi, April
>>
>>Seems like the more we learn the more we realize we don't know.
>>
>>Here I was looking for common denominators/signs that could be applied to
my
>>farm.
>>
>>I value your knowledge and experience and your logic here seems persuasive
>>about  weeds having different indicator values depending on soil, locality
>>and a host of possible other factors.
>>
>>After a while a lot of this becomes so complex that it becomes
frustrating.
>>I'd like fairly clear cut proven ideas and systems to emulate on the farm
I
>>hope to purchase real soon. I'd like to utilize best thinking , design it
>>into a system that takes into account  soil, climate, natural patterns,
and
>a
>>host of other local factors, and human preferences etc.
>>
>>Appreciate your thoughts on such a system...is there a system that is
>adapted
>>especially for given bioregions etc. that work with nature rather than
>>against it, but still allows us to produce food, utilize pasture etc.
>>
>>I know this is very, very broad and subject to all sorts of
qualifications,
>>and outside factors.
>>
>>My dream is to have an old fashioned small scale farm with a variety of
farm
>>fitted enterprises that work with nature, and is sustainable, and
>>economically feasible.
>>
>>Whew...anybody care to expand or comment on this.  frank
>
>
>Frank:
>
>Permaculture is site specific.  Good permaculture does not substitute
recipes
>for experience and careful design.  It is not engineering.
>
>Dan
>