The word permaculture, coined by Bill Mollison, is the merging of the words permanent with agriculture or culture. There are technical definitions of permaculture to share, but many people come to ask this question for practical, rather than technical reasons. The practically-minded may wonder, how can permaculture be used to solve local, urgent or personal problems (challenges) in real time? Can permaculture be useful for non-garden projects, to me and others at home and at work, and in the increasingly urban contexts that most Canadians live in?
Below is a simple / broad definition, followed by a couple of technical definitions, and then a couple more comments on practical concerns.
PERMACULTURE is a conscious design practice that draws on natural ecologies for inspiration to help design, implement and engage in regenerative systems and cultivated ecologies. Permaculture can be applied to all manner of design processes. For example, we can use it to design garden, homestead or farm systems / ecologies. We can also use it to design regenerative businesses, food systems, or other human systems. Lastly, we can draw on the practice to consider how to respond to personal or social challenges and questions we encounter.
PERMACULTURE (permanent agriculture or permanent culture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally (and otherwise) productive ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural systems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people, providing food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a regenerative way.
PERMACULTURE is based on the observation of natural systems, the wisdom contained in traditional farming (and other social) systems, and modern scientific knowledge. Although based on ecological models, permaculture creates a cultivated ecology that is designed to produce more human and animal food than is generally found in nature.
You can likely tell that these definitions are a bit hard to unpack in a single blog post. I need a few days or even weeks with you to sort out what they mean to you and your personal, professional or group situation… preferably over a few seasons! Moreover, if you’ve come here after watching dozens of YouTube videos, you may be up against the thought that most of us can’t (or won’t) move off-grid, grow and build a homestead, or plant fruit forests that we’ll tend for the next 50 years. We have other commitments. Never mind that fruit forests aren’t necessarily the best design solution for every situation. Could we do something more impactful than planting a fruit forest to increase food access in cities, for example? With tonnes of fruit rotting off urban trees and, more importantly, decreasing numbers of small-scale farmers in Southern Ontario, there are other solutions. We can glean and redistribute urban fruit. And we can support local farmers and farmers markets. A rare few of us might even become farmers!
Practically, I’m concerned that we need to be more conscious in how we design our gardens, homes, projects, and communities so that they are great and long-lasting. We design (by deciding on a direction), usually with little thought, all the time. A good permaculture practice can help us clarify and shift these behaviours. I usually start with permaculture principles. From there we can look at goals, understand resources, and connect to friends, allies, mentors, and a community of practice. Design (decisions) happen along the way. There’s a lot of observing and interacting along the way, too.
A diverse and supportive community is important. Permaculture is about relationships and diversity, among other things. I’m in this to build, and to help others build, amazing relationships. Why? So we can get better at making decisions while living with both information overload and a lack of clarity about how we should proceed.
I’m also curious lately about what designing-it-forward looks like. My sense is that we need to start where we are. How do you design for real challenges happening now, given where you are at?
I’m a mother, and I’m not giving up in the face of any of what’s ahead. I’m working for real change in a way that I hope is fun and engaging. I know that if it isn’t fun, most people won’t bother, including my own family and friends. So let’s make it fun and design-it-forward! Sign up for the newsletter and/or send an email if you want to know more about our next Permaculture Workshops.
Check out our “What Is Permaculture?” video, co-created with Windpath Media.