permaculture

[Michael Pilarski <friendsofthetrees@yahoo.com>]

The History of the Permaculture Movement in North America

 

A book proposal by Michael Pilarski

 

I am proposing a group effort to produce a permaculture
history for the US and Canada. Initially I can think of three major parts:

1) Stories by permaculture elders. Their own history and
their perspective on permaculture history.

2) Histories of individual bioregions by collaborating
authors who have been involved with the permaculture movement in their
bioregion all along. 

3) Youtube interviews with permaculturists about pc history.
This of course can be open-ended and continuing

Sections 1 and 2 can be published as an in-print book and as
an on-line book as well.  There can
be on an on-line forum dedicated to updating the history as more people want 
to
contribute to the effort.  

 

WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT?

It is possible that someone else may be working on such a
book already. Please let me know if so. 
Have any bioregional histories been published? Or started?   

 

For my own part I will compile a history of permaculture for
two bioregions; the Maritime Pacific Northwest (Cascadia) and the Inland
Pacific Northwest (Columbiana). I can do a first draft and float it to my peer
groups for comments, changes, additions, perspectives, etc. I have been
involved in permaculture in both bioregions continuously since 1981. For some
years I published a regional paper called the Pacific Northwest Permaculture
News & Gossip. I recall that Peter Bane, in the Permaculture Activist, once
referred to me as perhaps the biggest permaculture gossip in the USA.
Flattering at the time, but that was some years ago and I am sadly out of 
touch
with developments in most other bioregions. 

 

Here are some bioregions which have a strong permaculture
history. I am not listing all the bioregions here and of course each of these
has subset regions within it. Let’s see who answers the call. I am not
proposing a comprehensive history, nor a concensus viewpoint. But you gotta
start somewhere. 

Northeast US

Mid-Atlantic Region

Southeast US

Texas

Upper Midwest

Southwest

Southern California

Bay Area, California

Maritime Pacific Northwest

Inland Pacific Northwest.

British Columbia, Canada

Eastern Canada

Etc, etc.  

 

This is an initial attempt to find out who is interested and
what has already been done. Of course there are voluminous reams of articles
and publications from the Permaculture Activist, regional pc magazines,
articles, conference proceedings, the 1998 American Permaculture Directory
(online at http://www.permaculture.net/apd/index.html),
the 1st US permaculture directory by Guy Baldwin in the 1980s, etc,
etc. 

 

Let me know if you are interested and see what kind of team
we can put together. There is room for varying levels of participation. Who
would like to be on the coordinating/editing core team?

 

Michael Pilarski, 

Friends of the Trees Society 

PO Box 826, Tonasket, Washington 98855

509-486-4056. Michael@friendsofthetrees.net

 

I just had a great time reading “Permaculture Pioneers”
which is a history of the first 30 years of permaculture in Australia. This is
a inspiring book and I highly recommend it to all permaculturists no matter
where they live. Of course unless/until it is translated it can only be read 
by
English speakers. The book is composed of articles by 24 leading
permaculturalists in Australia with an afterword by Stuart B. Hill. It 
contains
many insights into the foundations of permaculture.

 

“Permaculture Pioneers: Stories from the new Frontier”.
Edited by Kerry Dawfurn and Caroline Smith. Melliodora Publishing, Hepburn,
Australia. June 2011. Available in the US from Chelsea Green Publishing. 
$34.95
retail. Here is the review from Chelsea Green’s website. 

“Permaculture is much more than
organic gardening. Arguably it is one of Australia’s greatest intellectual
exports, having helped people worldwide to design ecologically sustainable
strategies for their homes, gardens, farms and communities. This book charts a
history of the first three decades of permaculture, through the personal
stories of Australian permaculturists. From permaculture co-originator David
Holmgren, to ABC TV's Gardening Australia presenter Josh Byrne, the authors
span the generations and the continent.

These stories represent the scope,
depth and diversity of permaculture in Australia and around the world. They
explore some of the influences on those who have embraced it, record 
milestones
and highlight recurring themes. The editors’ contributions and afterword by
social ecologist Professor Stuart B Hill frame the stories in terms of
transformation of the inner landscape of our minds and hearts, as the critical
starting point for the outer change that is needed.

For those whose lives have been
changed by permaculture, this book provides a context for articulating and
celebrating their own stories and experiences. Even more, it invites each of
us, permaculturists or not, to embrace our power in designing our world out of
the best in ourselves, for the benefit of the whole earth community.”

 

Here is a brief on-line permaculture history from an
Australian viewpoint. 

http://pacific-edge.info/a-short-and-incomplete
-history-of-permaculture/



>From friendsofthetrees@yahoo.com  Sun Jan 29 04:39:25 2012
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The History of the Permaculture Movement in North America

 

A book proposal by Michael Pilarski

 

I am proposing a group effort to produce a permaculture
history for the US and Canada. Initially I can think of three major parts:

1) Stories by permaculture elders. Their own history and
their perspective on permaculture history.

2) Histories of individual bioregions by collaborating
authors who have been involved with the permaculture movement in their
bioregion all along. 

3) Youtube interviews with permaculturists about pc history.
This of course can be open-ended and continuing

Sections 1 and 2 can be published as an in-print book and as
an on-line book as well.  There can
be on an on-line forum dedicated to updating the history as more people want 
to
contribute to the effort.  

 

WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT??

It is possible that someone else may be working on such a
book already. Please let me know if so. 
Have any bioregional histories been published? Or started?   

 

For my own part I will compile a history of permaculture for
two bioregions; the Maritime Pacific Northwest (Cascadia) and the Inland
Pacific Northwest (Columbiana). I can do a first draft and float it to my peer
groups for comments, changes, additions, perspectives, etc. I have been
involved in permaculture in both bioregions continuously since 1981. For some
years I published a regional paper called the Pacific Northwest Permaculture
News & Gossip. I recall that Peter Bane, in the Permaculture Activist, once
referred to me as "perhaps the biggest permaculture gossip in the USA."
Flattering at the time, but that was some years ago and I am sadly out of 
touch
with developments in most other bioregions. 

 

Here are some bioregions which have a strong permaculture
history. I am not listing all the bioregions here and of course each of these
has subset regions within it. Let’s see who answers the call. I am not
proposing a comprehensive history, nor a concensus viewpoint. But you gotta
start somewhere. 

Northeast US

Mid-Atlantic Region

Southeast US

Texas

Upper Midwest

Southwest

Southern California

Bay Area, California

Maritime Pacific Northwest

Inland Pacific Northwest.

British Columbia, Canada

Eastern Canada

Etc, etc.  

 

This is an initial attempt to find out who is interested and
what has already been done. Of course there are voluminous reams of articles
and publications from the Permaculture Activist, regional pc magazines,
articles, conference proceedings, the 1998 American Permaculture Directory
(online at http://www.permaculture.net/apd/index.html), 
the 1st US permaculture directory by Guy Baldwin in the 1980s, etc,
etc. 

 

Let me know if you are interested and see what kind of team
we can put together. There is room for varying levels of participation. Who
would like to be on the coordinating/editing core team?

 

Michael Pilarski, 

Friends of the Trees Society 

PO Box 826, Tonasket, Washington 98855

509-486-4056. Michael@friendsofthetrees.net

 

I just had a great time reading “Permaculture Pioneers”
which is a history of the first 30 years of permaculture in Australia. This is
a inspiring book and I highly recommend it to all permaculturists no matter
where they live. Of course unless/until it is translated it can only be read 
by
English speakers. The book is composed of articles by 24 leading
permaculturalists in Australia with an afterword by Stuart B. Hill. It 
contains
many insights into the foundations of permaculture.

 

“Permaculture Pioneers: Stories from the new Frontier”.
Edited by Kerry Dawfurn and Caroline Smith. Melliodora Publishing, Hepburn,
Australia. June 2011. Available in the US from Chelsea Green Publishing. 
$34.95
retail. Here is the review from Chelsea Green’s website. 

“Permaculture is much more than
organic gardening. Arguably it is one of Australia’s greatest intellectual
exports, having helped people worldwide to design ecologically sustainable
strategies for their homes, gardens, farms and communities. This book charts a
history of the first three decades of permaculture, through the personal
stories of Australian permaculturists. From permaculture co-originator David
Holmgren, to ABC TV's Gardening Australia presenter Josh Byrne, the authors
span the generations and the continent.

These stories represent the scope,
depth and diversity of permaculture in Australia and around the world. They
explore some of the influences on those who have embraced it, record 
milestones
and highlight recurring themes. The editors’ contributions and afterword by
social ecologist Professor Stuart B Hill frame the stories in terms of
transformation of the inner landscape of our minds and hearts, as the critical
starting point for the outer change that is needed.

For those whose lives have been
changed by permaculture, this book provides a context for articulating and
celebrating their own stories and experiences. Even more, it invites each of
us, permaculturists or not, to embrace our power in designing our world out of
the best in ourselves, for the benefit of the whole earth community.”

 

Here is a brief on-line permaculture history from an
Australian viewpoint. 

http://pacific-edge.info/a-short-and-incomplete
-history-of-permaculture/



>From c.s.carnevale@gmail.com  Sun Jan 29 11:20:43 2012
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I have no personal experience with elephants as livestock, but I imagine
they kick out an inordinate amount of manure--like a personal manure
factory.  Manure can often be the best perk of keeping livestock--they can
process green material and turn it into a form that will quickly
incorporate into the soil and enrich it.  I cannot speak at all to the
particular chemical composition of elephant manure, but presumably it could
play a primary role in your soil building process.  I am imagining that you
could use the elephant to eat vigorous plants that will quickly grow
back--you may even want to plant vigorous feedstock plants like this to
keep a constant supply of elephant food.  Another option, which I don't
know if it would work or not but is worth considering, would be to use the
elephant to clear land of vegetation, similar to how a goat can clear a
weed patch or pigs can till up the soil.  While elephants might temporarily
compact the soil due to their weight, they would presumably leave behind a
lot of nutrient rich organic from their manure, which would provide the
basis for a healthy soil building process.

Sounds fun.  I wish I had an elephant to work with!

Chris Carnevale
Charleston, South Carolina