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  • From: "Jeff Hine" <jhi@post.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Introduction and a question about Swales
  • Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:14:45 -0500

Hi, I am fairly new to the idea of permaculture. I have not taken the
course or read the principal books on the subject. (money problems)
Nevertheless, I have been pouring over everything I can find on the net
and watching various youtube videos. And of course I am blown away by
the work that you all are doing. I feel like I have been standing on the
wrong side of the fence for 25 years of my working career and didn't
even know it for 24. I want over asap!

I live in an area that is considered mountain desert. We receive on the
average 16 inches of precipitation per year with nearly all of it locked
up in snow during December, January, and February. I keep trying to
figure out what permaculture would look like here. I try to imagine how
to use swales to hold onto as much moisture as possible. I know that
even when temperatures are cold a lot of snow is lost to evaporation,
you can see it happen. And then there is wind blowing that moves it
around. Would swales help in a climate like this? And to be specific
about my question, Geoff Lawton describes the swales that they put in
Jordan. He says in the video that the land is dead flat and later says
the swales were put in on contour. What does it mean to put swales on
contour on a flat piece of land? Can you treat a building as a hill and
use that as the contour point? Also, if you know of any resources online
dealing with geography such as where I live could you point me in that
direction?

I feel like I live in a very challenging landscape, yet I know that all
areas are suitable for permaculture design. I am learning and grateful
for all the folks on this list.

-Jeff



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