By Lorraine Sharaf
Interested in permaculture? Make sure to attend our farm tour at Hundred Fruit Farm on 7/2 – permaculture is their specialty!
Permaculture & Regenerative Agriculture are two buzzwords among climate activists, farmers and home gardeners that are frequently used interchangeably to describe a way of growing food that replicates and restores a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
While they share the same goals and growing philosophies, and many of the same techniques, they are not interchangeable concepts. Permaculture designs sustainability into all aspects of human life and their interconnections – agriculture, land use, landscape design, client’s schedules, preferences, dreams, and resources; natural buildings and hardscapes; roads and infrastructures; water use, animal corridors and habitats; effects on neighboring properties, recycling, land history, renewable energy, public policies, social-justice and economics.
Regenerative Agriculture is more specifically focused on restorative and sustainable agriculture and the systems that support farming, with a particular emphasis on creating healthy soil. It is one of the many tools that can be used within a permaculture design emphasizing organic methods, polyculture, integrating plants and animals; and following, not fighting, the natural tendencies of the land, plants and animals. Both systems prioritize slowing down and reversing greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures and other factors that contribute to damaging the Earth’s ecosystems.
Permaculture Design’s North Star is rooted in the three ethics that all designs must include:
- Earth Care, which requires that we respect and nurture all forms of life and maintain, restore and improve the health of the Earth.
- People Care, which focuses on the well-being of all individuals and communities so that people can thrive in harmony with their environment.
- Fair Share, also known as Future Care, which uses Earth Care and People Care to create abundance and to generously share resources and sustain those resources for future generations. Design strives to keep everything in balance.
In addition to the three ethics, permaculture design uses twelve design principles. Each newsletter, we will explore these 12 principles in our new “Permie Corner” of the newsletter.
The first principle is To Observe and Interact.
This is the principle that I would like you to focus on this month at your home or another favorite place. While a year timetable is not always realistic, a permaculture designer would ideally observe a property for an entire year, noting how the sun rises and sets throughout the seasons; when and where the wind blows throughout the year; areas, also known as corridors, where animals pass through; who migrates and who stays and what are their favorite habitats, habits and food preferences; how does water work on the land – are there low spots and high spots, flooding or dry areas; what kinds of plants are present; amounts of rainfall and snowfall. Walk around to examine each tree, bush, and plant. Where do the birds like to nest? Are the plants and trees healthy? Do they have blossoms? What is the shape of their leaves? Do you see young trees, old trees or a mix? Look for patterns and similarities among leaves, branches, plants, insects and birds. Do you see spirals, straight lines, wavy lines, stripes, circles, dots, or some other pattern? You get the idea. Try this for this month. If you have lived in your house for many years, then you probably know where the sun rises and sets throughout the year and how the winds blow throughout the year and what animals live on your property.
Pretend that you have a camera with a zoom lens. Zoom out to look at the overall landscape as you walk around your yard and house and then slowly bring your attention into smaller and smaller details. Lie on the grass and look up at the sky and trees, then flip over on your stomach and look at the plants and insect life on the ground. Notice smells, textures, temperatures and sounds.
When you spend time closely observing your property, I predict that you will feel more closely connected to it and your fellow inhabitants and more knowledgeable about what is best for your land.
June Permie Tip:
Always select elements, living or nonliving, that provide multiple benefits. For example, plant native strawberries, which provide at least three benefits: Strawberries attract pollinators, which helps vegetable gardens; provides food for people; and acts as a living mulch when the vines spread along the ground to form a mat that suppresses weeds for other plants, controls erosion and helps the ground to hold its moisture. Plant at least two strawberry varieties for a more successful crop.
o further improve your crop, add complementary plants to your design, which is called Companion Planting. Dill, sage, and borage are all good companions. Dill distracts insects from the strawberries and, when it blooms, attracts beneficial insects that feed on aphids and other pests. Sage has a strong scent that masks the strawberry smell from destructive insects and predators. As with other herbs, if you let it bloom, the flowers will attract bees and other pollinators. The borage flowers will attract pollinators for strawberries and other garden crops, such as zucchini and summer squash, as well as attract predatory insects, such as praying mantis and predatory wasps, that eat the pests that attack strawberries. A good companion plant provides multiple functions on its own but is healthier and more effective when it is grouped with other complementary plants, each providing and deriving benefits from one another.
The goal for a permaculture practitioner is to design so that everything works together with little human intervention. Less weeding and more time to eat strawberries, spend time with family and friends, and watch the birds and caterpillars in your own little slice of heaven on earth.
See you next month! I welcome comments about your observations, as well as your permaculture questions and any other thoughts and ideas. ☺ Lorraine
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