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Farming Systems - Study Materials

Bill Mollison, who developed the concept of permaculture, described it as “consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs.” It is a system of agricultural and social design principles centered around simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. The word permaculture comes from permanent agriculture and permanent culture - it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature. Permanence is not about everything staying the same. Its about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture and social justice, peace and abundance.


Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labour; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system. It is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.

One practical application is pastured poultry paddocks - a healthy way to maintain a flock of chickens and contribute to the fertility of the soil. In this system, multiple areas of diverse pasture are grown, and the chicken flock is rotated through each area in turn. As the vegetation and insect population of one paddock is eaten down, the flock is shifted on to the next paddock and the first paddock is allowed to recover with the addition of the richness of chicken manure. 


Features

  • This unique combination is then used to support the creation of sustainable, agriculturally productive, non-polluting and healthy settlements. In many places this means adapting existing settlements. In other cases it can mean starting from scratch. Both offer interesting challenges and opportunities.


Permaculture ethics

Earth care - Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. This is the first principle, because without a healthy earth humans cannot flourish. Permaculture works with natural systems, rather than in competition with them. It uses methods that have minimal negative impact on the Earth’s natural environment. In everyday life, this may involve buying local produce, eating in season, and cycling rather than driving. Its about choices we make, and how we manage the land. It’s about designing and creating healthy systems that meet our needs without damaging the planet. Permaculture systems support and are supported by emerging holistic scientific perspectives and the growing new eco-spiritual awareness of humankind as a part of the natural world and dependent upon nature.


  • People care - Provision for people to access those resources necessary to their existence. This is about ensuring the wellbeing of both individuals and communities. As individuals, we need to look after ourselves and each other so that as a community we can develop environmentally friendly lifestyles. In the poorest parts of the world, this is still about helping people to access enough food and clean water, within a safe society. In the rich world, it means redesigning our unsustainable systems and replacing them with sustainable ones. 
  • Fair share - The third ethic recognises that the Earth’s resources are limited and these resources need to be shared amongst many beings. Reinvesting surpluses back into the system to provide for the first two ethics. This includes returning waste back into the system to recycle into usefulness. The third ethic is sometimes referred to as Fair Share to reflect that each of us should take no more than what we need before we reinvest the surplus. This also includes limits to consumption and, controversially, limits to reproduction. It also includes the distribution of the surplus.


A commonly used design process is 'OBREDIM'. This stands for:

  • Observation - key to permaculture is good observation. Use all of your senses. Record observations systematically. Try to observe land over the four seasons and in different weather, especially extremes - frost, heavy rain, very warm, etc. Where does the snow clear first? Where does frost collect? Where does it stay wet or boggy longest? What is the wind like in the winter, and in the summer? Where do cats like to sit (the warmest spots!) What wildlife is there? What is the soil like and does it vary over the site? 
  • Boundaries – Another key characteristic is soft edges as in ecoclines ( a gradation or gradient from one ecosystem to another when there is no sharp boundary between the two). What are the boundaries of the site? Walk them and see what you find. What is over the fence, how will this affect you? What are the boundaries of the project - its 'scope'.
  • Resources - What resources exist? Financial resources - what money is available to invest in the project? Is it available in a lump sum or small amounts over many months? What skills are there? What plants, structures or other resources are available? Is funding available from outside bodies? 
  • Evaluation - Analysis of what you have got - how do elements interact? Evaluate your resources, will they make a big project possible, or do you need to design a long programme of small changes?
  • Design - This is where you can play with all your colouring pencils! A base map of what exists can be overlayed with tracing paper and you can start to look at how different aspects of the design might look. Many design techniques exist and most are relatively easy to use.
  • Implementation - Consider how your plans can be made real, consider the timing/phasing of the project. Create a plan of action and ensure that everyone knows what the plan is. (Best to involve them right from the start, if it doesn't reflect what they want to happen, it won't!) 
  • Maintain - Make sure that you consider what maintenance is involved when you are designing. There is no point creating a system that needs 3 days a week to maintain, if there are only 2 days available.


Organisations

The Permaculture Association www.permaculture.org.uk


Network

Permanent Culture Now www.permanentculturenow.com

World Permaculture Network http://permacultureglobal.org


Publications

Open Permaculture School Http://openpermaculture.com


Videos

Bill Mollison Global Gardener 3 In cool climates