Permaculture / Cultivating Sustainability

Permaculture is a holistic design philosophy that integrates land, resources, people, and the environment in a sustainable and regenerative way. It aims to create self-sufficient agricultural systems modeled on natural ecosystems. 

Here are some key principles of permaculture:

Observe and Interact - By observing natural patterns and interactions, we can design sustainable systems.

Catch and Store Energy - This involves capturing and storing resources when they are abundant for use in times of need.

Obtain a Yield - Ensure that you are getting useful rewards as part of your work.

Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback - We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems can continue to function well.

Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services - Make the best use of nature's abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources.

Produce No Waste - By valuing and making use of all the resources available, we minimize waste.

Design from Patterns to Details - Observing patterns in nature and society provides insights for designing efficient systems.

Integrate Rather Than Segregate - By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they support each other.

Use Small and Slow Solutions - Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and producing more sustainable outcomes.

Use and Value Diversity - Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment.

Use Edges and Value the Marginal - The most interesting events often occur at the edges, where different environments meet. The interface between things is where the most valuable, diverse, and productive elements often exist.

Creatively Use and Respond to Change - We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing and then intervening at the right time.

Start following your dreams NOW

If you catch yourself daydreaming during the workday, you’re not alone. We all think about following our dreams sometimes. But how do you know if you should actually go for it? 

Now, that’s not a question for everyone because not everyone has a dream. You’ll regret it later. When you’re older, you may ruminate on what could have been. By then, changing courses will be more complicated. You’ll be struggling to make up for the lost time. It isn’t impossible, though, and it’s never too late to follow your dreams. That’s not intended to be a slight or a negative statement, but it is a reality that I learned the hard way. 

What does it feel like to see a dream come true?

It’s no secret that one of my dreams is seeing a country transformed by permaculture. Over the last few years, the vision of transformation has motivated everything I do.

When we first started casting the vision of transformation, I didn’t think it was something I’d see in my lifetime. I believed it so much I told people that on the front end so they would understand that I had big dreams, but I wasn’t completely crazy. You can inspire others. Eventually, young people and even your friends will ask how you made it to where you are. You can encourage them to pursue their own dreams, too.

Over time, as more and more people have joined me in my dream, I’ve come to realize that not only is transformation possible, but I believe I’ll see it before I die. I’ve gone from having a dream to have a belief, and that belief grows stronger every day. There’s no shortage of inspiration out there. Here are some of my favorite quotes about following your dreams.

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” - Oprah Winfrey

“Don’t dream your life, but live your dream.” - Mark Twain

“If you can dream it, you can make it so.” - Belva Davis

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” - Nelson Mandela

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“Each dream you leave behind is a part of your future that will no longer exist.” - Steve Jobs

Every person who sees a dream come true must first own that dream. They must see it clearly, and chase after it passionately with every strategy, skill, and talent they possess. Dreamers must call others to their dream and pay the price to move forward together with tenacity. 

But most of all, a dreamer must see and desire all the ways their dream will benefit others more than it benefits themselves. You need a lot of courage to build a happy life. We often focus on the reasons not to do something, so we must train ourselves to focus on the positive. Everyone in your life will have an opinion about your dreams. Some will offer valuable advice while others will try to stop you. Only one person’s opinion matters - yours. Keep this in mind as you start following your dreams.

If you need help finding the courage to follow your dreams, reach out for support. Having an objective outsider can help you set clear goals and stay accountable to yourself. Once you have a plan, there’s no telling what you can accomplish.

I’ve seen a lot of dreams come true in my life, but what I’m experiencing now is something different, something deeper, and it’s something I want so many others to experience too. I want everyone to know what it feels like to see a God-sized dream come true because it is amazing in a way I can’t even describe.

To quote my friend, Josip Babich, "I want more for you than I want from you. And I want bigger things for you now more than ever."

Let’s make it happen.

Permaculture / Getting Started

(From Zeljko Serdar/Facebook)

Permaculture is a design practice as much as it is a scientific topic of inquiry. When asked to sum up permaculture in a single word, my teacher and my friend Geoff Lawton used the term ‘design’ to encapsulate the purpose of the study. I’m pretty low-tech, so I drew my maps by hand. I believe this is the most accessible way to create maps. Almost anyone can draw on paper!

Some examples are:

Contour: Contour lines tell us where land slopes and where gravity sends water to drain.

Wind: We can’t help where the wind comes from, but we can buffer it.

Noise: Most of us have to deal with some noise that is out of our control such as a busy road or a neighbor with a yappy dog

.

Sunlight: Include the effects of neighboring trees as well as your own.

Snow/Fire: If these are common for you, map what direction they might come from so you can buffer their effects.

Wildlife: Map wildlife patterns that are significant challenges. I’ve mapped the most popular deer route on my map below.

Flooding/Drainage: Demonstrate how water moves on your site according to the contour lines and seasonal flooding.

Views/Privacy: Mark where you’d like to improve or retain privacy plantings, and where you can enhance beautiful views.

Crime: What direction might thieves or unwelcome folks come from? Certain components may help to reduce the threat.

Air/Water/Light Pollution: A neighbor with a floodlight, a neighboring farmer who sprays his/her crops, etc…

(From Zeljko Serdar/Facebook)

Identifying these sectors can help you brainstorm ways to minimize their effect or find a way to turn the problem into an asset 

I discovered some things in the process—things I wouldn’t have thought about until it was too late, things that would have cost me a lot of time to go back and fix. Believe me, if it seems like drawing maps is a waste of time, it won’t be. But you’ll never know until you give it a try. 

Zeljko Serdar, CCRES

Pathways beyond Sustainability

There are 12 design principles in permaculture. I think they can be applied to daily life, work and play which will allow us to live happier and healthier, to work more effectively and to create a more sustainable world.

Here are the 12 principles:

Observe and interact.

Catch and store energy.

Obtain a yield.

Apply self-regulation and accept feedback.

Use and value renewable resources and services.

Produce no waste.

Design from patterns to details.

Integrate rather than segregate.

Use small and slow solutions.

Use and value diversity.

Use edges and value the marginal.

Creatively use and respond to change.

How can we use these principles to guide our life or our work?

Observe and interact- Let’s slow down and observe and appreciate our surroundings and others. Let’s slow down and interact with others, in real life, not on our phones.

Catch and store energy- Take time to relax to restore balance and energy. Also, for me this means associating myself with those who bring positive energy and it means doing things that bring me joy and make me feel energized like running and learning.

Obtain a yield- In permaculture, this of course might mean planting in such a way that the most food is created. The food is the reward. In life, we can work to obtain an intrinsic or extrinsic reward. These rewards need not be strictly financial. Perhaps the reward is making a difference in your client’s life or making your coworker’s day a little bit easier.

Apply self-regulation and accept feedback- Self-regulation or self-control allows us to be accountable and it empowers us. Feedback helps us improve which will help us excel at work.

Use and value renewable resources and services and produce no waste- These two principles are simply common sense tips to living a eco-friendly lifestyle and in creating a more sustainable world.

Design from patterns to details- Permaculture calls for standing back and observing patterns in nature and in society and then filling in the details; this might make for a more efficient and logical way to work as well.

Integrate rather than segregate and use and value diversity- These principles translate perfectly in how we should all live in harmony with each other by integrating everyone into our communities and valuing diversity.

Use small and slow solutions- Permaculture uses small and slow solutions because they are easier to manage than bigger solutions and they allow for the use of local resources leading to more sustainable outcomes. While this may not always be feasible- sometimes we need big and fast solutions to solve some of society’s greatest problems- this principle can potentially be a valuable tool for problem solving.

Use edges and value the marginal- Permaculture suggests that the interface between things is where the most interesting things take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive parts of the system. This might mean extending a community garden out onto an edge near an unused railway. In life and work, we can try to more effectively use our resources including the edges.

Creatively use and respond to change- This requires no explanation, but in a changing world, it remains an important principle in both life and work. To remain a viable and sustainable business and to live well, we must be resilient and creatively work with change.

Using these principles may allow us to create a better life and a better world by caring for the earth and caring for people.

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