What is Permaculture?
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is a design system for sustainable land use. It offers an integrated approach to designing productive ecosystems with diversity and stability.
Permaculture offers a low energy, resource friendly, high yield approach to designing landscapes for people to provide food, energy, shelter, and other needs.
Permaculture systems are designed using a set of principles and ethics devised by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Australia in 1974. These principles form the framework for sustainable design of any property in any climate, with any soil type. Techniques and strategies will vary from site to site, but the principles of Permaculture design remain a constant.
Many books have been published explaining the concept and its practical applications.
The best way to learn more about Permaculture in an interactive environment is to complete a Permaculture Design Course. Another way to experience Permaculture first hand is to volunteer as a Willing Worker on organic farms (WWOOF) to see how people have applied the principles of permaculture to their own properties and lifestyles.
BOOKS
The following titles are useful books to get you started. Most of these are available at local libraries, or good bookshops. Mail order is available for starred items, however we do not accept credit card payments. Contact us for a price list and payment options.
* Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison with Reny Mia Slay, Tagari Publications 1991
* Permaculture - A Designer's Manual, Bill Mollison, Tagari Publications 1988
* Permaculture One; A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, Tagari 1978
* Permaculture Two; Practical Design For Town and Country, Bill Mollison , Tagari 1979
* The Basics Of Permaculture Design, Ross Mars, Candlelight Trust 1996
* Earth user's Guide to Permaculture, Rosemary Morrow, Kangaroo Press 1993
* The Permaculture Home Garden, Linda Woodrow, Viking Penguin Books 1996
VIDEOS
A number of Permaculture related videos have been produced. An excellent one to start with is the ABC production In Grave Danger of Falling Food, in which Bill Mollison outlines what Permaculture is and how it can alleviate many of the global problems being experienced. An ABC series Global Gardener is also excellent for more specific information on Permaculture in different climate zones.
PERMACULTURE ORGANISATIONS
Permaculture International Limited (PIL) is an Australian organisation which originally published the Permaculture International Journal. This excellent publication ceased in 2000 after producing 75 magazines. PIL is now directing its focus towards education and promotion of Permaculture.
For more information or to join as a member to support this organisation look at the PIL website at http://www.permacultureinternational.org
Many independent Permaculture associations and groups have been formed all over the world. Try a net search to discover what is happening in your area.
Listserves also exist as a discussion forum.
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