TWELVE
permaculture principles
Permaculture is a design approach that works to restore the health of an ecosystem by mimicking natural processes. It is based on ecological and biological principles, to maximise effect and minimise effort. Permaculture aims to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with its inhabitants. This booklet defines and describes the twelve main principles.
1
By taking the time to engage with nature, we can design solutions that suit our particular situation. Observation allows you first to see how the site functions within itself, to gain an understanding of its natural relationships. Some people recommend a yearlong observation of a site before anything is planted. This allows the site to be observed through all seasons, for maximum utilization of the areas native performance.
2
& Identify and collect flows of energy. Every natural cycle is an opportunity for a better yield; every gradient (in slope, charge, temperature, etc.) can produce energy. Reinvesting resources builds capacity to capture yet more resources. By developing systems that collect resources, we can use them in times of need.
3
Make sure that you are reaping the rewards of your labor. Design the site for both immediate and longterm returns. Utilize the yields of each element to meet the needs of other elements in the system. A good example of this is composting. Kitchen scraps could be turned into a fertile compost to nourish the garden. Also, remember that the biggest limit to abundance is creativity. Imagination and skill usually limit productivity before any physical limits are reached.
4
& This principle deals with self-regulatory aspects of permaculture design that limit or discourage inappropriate growth or behavior. With better understanding of how positive and negative feedbacks work in nature, we can design systems that are more self-regulating, thus reducing the work involved in repeated and harsh corrective management. Keep in mind that a self-maintaining and regulating system is the ultimate goal.
5 Permaculture design should aim to make best use of renewable natural resources to manage and maintain yields, even if some use of non-renewable resources is needed in establishing the system. Renewable services are those gained from plants, animals and living soil and water without being consumed. For example, when we use a tree for shade and shelter, we gain benefits from the living tree that are non-consuming and require no harvesting energy.
6
In permaculture, there is no such thing as waste. By properly utilizing of all the resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste. For example, when a family uses a hand pump for water instead of the conventional faucet, the hand pump encourages them to conserve and be conscious of how much they use.
7
Living systems mature with time. So, if we accept this trend and align our designs with natural forces, we save time and energy. For example, it is important to remember that mature ecosystems are more diverse and productive than young ones.
8
By doing research and putting the right things together, support systems between elements can develop. Permaculture Guilds are groups of plants, animals and microbacteria, which compliment each other. For example, the Three Sisters (maize, squash and beans) is a well-known guild. The higher number of connections among elements, the more healthy and diverse the ecosystem will be.
9
& Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, and they make better use of local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes. Understand the system you are working with well enough to find its “leverage points� and intervene there, where the least work accomplishes the most change.
10
& Diversity reduces vulnerability and increases yield. For example, a study in China showed that planting several varieties of rice in the same field increased yields by 89 percent. Also, polycultures are great because they imitate the diversity of natural ecosystems.
11
& The boundaries between environments is where the most interesting events take place, these are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system. This is the place where energy and materials accumulate or are translated. Utilize the edge and value the seemingly trivial.
12
You can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing and then intervening at the right time. When change occurs, be creative, trust what you have observed, and find a solution that is best for your site.
This book was designed and assembled by Sarah Bess McLaughlin in Dec 2009. The photographs were collected from various sources including Willow Organic Farm in Oxfordshire, MSU Student Organic Farm in Boston, and Natick Community Organic Farm in Boston.
The first recorded practice of permaculture was by Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer in the 1960s, but the method was scientifically perfected by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. BOOKS Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway Earth Care Manual by Patrick Whitefield Earth User’s Guide by Rosemary Morrow One Straw Revolution by Masunobu Fukuoka WEBSITES Plants for a Future pfaf.org PermacultureDesignSolutions.com Permaculture Research Institute permaculutre.org.au TransitionNetwork.org
TWELVE permaculture principles
Permaculture is a design approach that works to restore the health of an ecosystem by mimicking natural processes. It is based on ecological and biological principles, to maximise effect and minimise effort. Permaculture aims to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with its inhabitants. This booklet defines and describes the twelve main principles. Here is a great introduction to create your personal permaculture, a place to work and live in harmony with nature, a place that will nurture your body and your soul.
$10 US/$12 CANADA