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  • From: "April Sampson-Kelly" <askpv@ozemail.com.au>
  • To: <permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Fw: Help design this orchard
  • Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 13:04:17 +1100

there are two main patterns/ideas available to people who harvest
mechanically.
machines need straight lines on the whole, but even so these straight lines
can be kept on
contour, not up and down the slope so - thereby preserving soil and water.
1. plant your crops in strips with strips of companions between cash crops
2. plant in differing heights: as the crop grows to a certain height and
you can harvest it, the next crop
can be growing in amongst it.
2a. with the introduction of sorting machines (seed sorters, human sorters)
you can harvest several crops at once
growing together
OR
2b. if you sell your crops as mixed goods (such as mixed grain or mixed
seasonal salad greens) then you
will not require sorting either and can get a good healthy mixed crop on the
market.
Patterns is a whole permaculture design course topic, it is usually the
topic that
gets least attention and yet, a students observation skills can really take
off with the
appreciation of patterns.
we look for designing with patterns so that we can predict seed dispersal,
energy
transfer (wind, water etc) and design for sucession.
in these last 3 years of writing a design course text I'd say i have spent
more mental energy
writing about patterns in a way that makes it relevant and stimulating to
students.
when i am designing I think in patterns first and then in specific elements.
your Landscape is a pattern, even if it looks totally flat, it has wind and
water and seed and
dust in patterns, the animals and people move in patterns and even the
machinery.
in permaculture we teach about main patterns including,
wave,
spiral,
cloud,
branching
scatter
lobes

April.

April Sampson-Kelly ADPA,BCA,MCA,GradSci,PDC
LC permaculture Visions
askpv@ozemail.com.au
sampsms@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv
GOOD PLANETS ARE HARD TO FIND


-----Original Message-----
From: FranksFarm <FranksFarm@aol.com>
To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu <permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Thursday, 25 December 1997 6:39
Subject: Re: Fw: Help design this orchard


>Hi,
>In a message dated 12/23/97 7:35:03 AM, rvraders@tpgi.com.au? wrote:
>
><<Neat rows are convenient for harvest and maintenance, but aren't very
>
>aesthetic, nor earth friendly. Certainly other patterns will work, but
>
>they will do better with careful design to ensure harvest and maintenance
>
>are still easy. Most trees are affected by competion (bare ground can
>
>increase yields... however the down sides are many). A forest garden will
>
>usually show reduced yields of your main crop, offset by other yields.
>
>However a field planted with companions ( a few species selected to work
>
>well with your main crop) should not impact negatively on the crop, and
>
>also provide additonal yields.
> Look to the pattern of nature in your area (spacings etc) and from the
area
>
>the crop originally comes from.>>
>
>My question to Rene and Lorriane and all is this. First I tend to agree
with
>the above comments, but just what are the patterns, and the spacings
involved?
>I've seen so many posts that espouse ideas like this , but few that give
>actual details.
>It seems that we must also keep in mind "labor" requirements in any such
>operation else how can we profitably sustain it...unless we have free labor
of
>family , friends, and our own sweat.
>Love to hear more about these patterns.
>I have been deeply influenced by Fukuoka's " The Natural Way of farming"
and
>would like to adapt some of his ideas on my homestead farm.
>Thanks. Happy Holidays to all. frank
>
>






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