permaculture

[lfl@intrex.net]

BK wrote:
> Someone recently suggested taking a look at WikiPedia, which I did, and
> since then have seen other examples of wiki's in use. Wiki's seem to have
> some great attributes (a few problems, but on the whole very interesting).
> One feature is that users can add to the content of a wiki, without the
> admin having to rewrite pages double check url's etc. Definitions of terms
> can easily be reached by novices, and ideas could be fleshed out. I would
> LOVE to to have a wiki on ibiblio devoted to permaculture and offshoots and
> ideas. And it would be alot easier then one person having to list and define
> all the various ideas, examples, terms, people, principles, etc, since
> anyone could start a definition wiki which could be expanded upon. Anyone
> feel similarly?

Yes. It could become the logical extension of a Permaculture mailing 
list and permaculture-content-oriented websites, some using server-side 
includes (SSI, .shtml) to make it even more of a distributed database or 
encyclopedia. We've talked about creating a permaculture database here
and a WIKI may be an easier way to get the ball rolling, leading 
eventually to a relational database _and_ an encyclopedia. Entries in 
the message archives for this list could provide much raw data that 
could be used in a PC Wiki. I am soon going to put the archives for this 
list that still exist on our old ibiblio Lyris server into a 
Mailman-like format, similar to what we have now. I just did this for 
the NAFEX Yahoo list archives and they can be seen here as an example:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/NAFEX/message-archives/old/maillist.html
This  will provide much easier access to the great information that has 
flowed here over the years. I have all the older archives from the start 
of this list will put them with the new material. A list FAQ, which I 
hope to create, will reference all this, the PC FAQ at ATTRA, other key 
PC websites and any Wiki we decide to do.

Maybe we could begin by submitting suggestions for important PC 
resources on the Web for inclusion in the FAQ - this could become part 
of a PC Wikipedia in which we provide a basic definition of Permaculture 
with hotlinks to an information heirarchy defining the content of the 
Wikipedia. This would be a "database" of hyperlinks
to main categories of information describing Permaculture with nested 
subsets of data. For example: An important practical application of 
Permaculture is the observation, documentation and replication of known
plant guilds. An entry in the definition of pc in the wikipedia would 
include one for guilds, a definition of which would include links to
more detailed descriptions of guilds with further links to known 
examples, speculation on others and proposals for new ones. This could 
get really interesting as ideas become more refined and entries get 
edited to reflect those changes.

This free form, non-relational, searchable, text database in the form of 
an encyclopedia could co-evolve in fascinating ways. We could set rules, 
if necessary, to define acceptable limits on quality, quantity and focus.

> I beleive there ought to be a couple of folks on ibiblio who know how to
> upload the php scripts and run a wiki.

Maybe Rich, John and other software people along with experienced Wiki 
users could recommend the right Wiki software engine for us to use,
for me to ask ibiblio to install for us.
This page lists a bunch of possibilities:
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiEngines

I expect this is software that ibiblio should run and offer to all 
content providers instead of individuals running it in their own
accounts. A look here tells me that there is a lot to fine tuning the 
configuration of the perl wiki software:
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?MoreAboutTheServer

> Cheers,
> BK
>
> PS-On large scale the large scale ag and permaculture discussion, I think
> mechinized harvesting inherently needs large amount of uniform product (a
> John Deere ain't intellegent enough to pick a tomatoe, then a carrot, an
> apple and a sprig of basil in one run). But it seems some enhancements can
> be made, call them permaculture, or some other term. Crop inbetween trees
> with enough room for harvesting, do more intellegent designs for water use
> then a longditchs for water to run along in straight line after straight

> line. Curve things with a radius large enough for the tractor to deal with.

With that in mind here's an Agriculture Wiki entry for raised bed 
gardening with a few comments of mine added:
<><><>
In raised bed gardening, the soil is formed in 3-4 foot (1.0-1.2m) wide 
beds, which can be of any length. The soil is about 0.5-1 foot 
(150-300cm) above the surrounding soil, sometimes enclosed by a frame 
generally made of wood or concrete blocks, and enriched with compost 
made from leaves and grass clippings. The vegetable plants are spaced in 
geometric patterns, much closer together than conventional row 
gardening. The spacing is such that when the vegetables are fully grown, 
their leaves just barely touch each other, creating a microclimate in 
which moisture is conserved and weed growth suppressed. Since the 
gardener does not walk on the raised beds, the soil is not compacted and 
the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the 
use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in 
comparison to conventional row gardening.
(LL --->)
Raised beds lend themselves to the development of complex agriculture 
systems that utilize many of the principles and methods of Permaculture.
They can be used effectively to control erosion and recycle and conserve 
water and nutrients by building them along contour lines on slopes. This
also makes more space available for intensive crop production. They can 
be created over large areas with the use of several commonly available
tractor-drawn implements and efficiently maintained, planted and 
harvested using hand tools.
<><><>

> Grow a few thousand chickens and use there manure on your acreage. Grow your
> own energy crops to run things. Of course on a large scale you lack the
> personal touch a permaculture can have. It seems to me permaculture requires
> a more human touch then agribis has, some places are the antithesis of
> permaculture, some show some of the principles (wether call pc or not), and
> some ARE permaculture. This concludes my 2 cents. :-) 


--
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com