permaculture

[Rick Valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>]

> I don't quite now what makes a community garden 'permaculture'. Does
> the presence of a permaculture-trained adviser make it so? Can I
> suggest that the motivation to act at the community level by members of
> a community (geographic or interest-based) is an element of
> permaculture practice whether so named or not?
I was serious in my checklist proposal. I don't hardly ever think in
black-n-white. "What would optimize the Pc aspects of a community garden?"
might be a better way to put it.
> How do you distinguish
> between a permaculture garden and an organic garden?
Emilia Hazelip figured that a Pc garden doesn't need inputs once it's up and
running. And very little planting. "Natural Farming" in Fukuoka sensei's
terms.
>I recall Bill 
> Mollison once saying that permaculture, in its gardening iteration, is
> organic gardening plus design. Good definition.

Ah, so! And to paraphrase Bill, every permaculture { garden} will be unique!

>May I suggest that and definition of a
> 'permaculture community garden' include:
> 
> - democratic, participatory management
> - focus equally on food production and social/ community-building
> - mixed plantings whether perennials are included in the system of not
> (a community garden temporarily occupying an area slated for
> redevelopment - such as was Randwick Community Organic Garden - might
> not plant perennials)
good point! Although some perennials even in such a situation might greatly
increase beneficial insect habitat...

>- multiple use where possible.
por supuesto! (ayyy! I'm listening to Compay Segundo, may he rest in peace!)
Well, I guess! I'd definitely be tempted to build an arbor with grapes and
benches underneath for one of the "social spaces"
 
> I see all community gardens, including those that are non-organic, as
> 'permaculture' activities in the broad sense of the word because they
> implement permaculture as a community development strategy, consciously
> or otherwise.
Leads to less time in front of the telly, eh?

Oliver tells of one community garden that regularly sheltered homeless
people. And there are, I hear, plenty of dacha plots with tiny cabins in
Russia. At Village Homes, unused garden plots got taken up by a market
gardening cooperative. I enjoyed the IPC III tour of the Devonport NZ
recycling area, where composting produced soil for a community garden on top
of the old tip.
The Youth Garden Project here in Cornvalley uses a part of a community
garden, and has some great design elements, incl. a cob oven that bakes fine
pizza and is used by a baker who does a subscription bake once a week.
I am currently gardening in a spot which for years was a privately owned
community garden, organically managed. The soil has truly been abused; my
son enjoys measuring the depth of the cracks! (after 2 fallow years) So
"organic" is not necessarily sustainable as we all probably know...

So- Russ has contributed some excellent suggestions for the Pc community
Garden checklist! Do we have any other ideas on what would optimize the
permacultural aspects of a community garden?
How about some animal ideas?

-Rick

with a pickup full of bamboo, ready to head to Babylon for the weekend!











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