Basic of permaculture provided to a group of Master Gardeners, and environmentally aware citizens. Key concepts were presented with a discussion around each topic. This is a precursor to a full PDC class starting in April. www.greatlakespermaculture.com

1. Permaculture
Introduction
FELC– February 8 – Great Lakes Permaculture

2. Permaculture
Today we will cover
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What exactly is Permaculture - Definition
Why do we need it - Doom and Gloom part of the presentation
Short Break
Permaculture Concepts – Looking toward the future with Hope
Design Examples
Worldwide
Pioneers
Project House
Next Steps

3. Permaculture
Bill Mollison
David Holmgren

4. What is Permaculture? Really?
Bill Mollison – Original Definition
Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather
than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful
observation rather than protracted & thoughtless
action; of looking at systems in all their functions rather
than asking only one yield of them & of allowing
systems to demonstrate their own evolutions.
Huh?

5. What is Permaculture? Really?
David Holmgren
A more current definition of permaculture, which reflects the expansion of
focus implicit in Permaculture One, is ‘Consciously designed landscapes
which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding
an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs. People,
their buildings and the ways in which they organise themselves are central
to permaculture. Thus the permaculture vision of permanent or sustainable
agriculture has evolved to one of permanent or sustainable culture.
Better…

6. What is Permaculture? Really?
David Holmgren
More precisely permaculture is a “design system based on ecological
principles” which provides the organizing framework for implementing the
above vision.
In this more limited, but important sense it draws together the diverse skills
and ways of living which need to be rediscovered and developed to
empower us to move from being dependent consumers to becoming
responsible producers..
Best

7. Why do we need it
Soil is life
1.
Skin of the earth - Soil consists of a solid phase (minerals & organic matter) as well as
a porous phase that holds gases and water.
2.
Soil performs four important functions: as a medium for plant growth and of water storage,
supply and purification; as a modifier of the atmosphere; and finally as a habitat for organisms
that take part in decomposition and creation of a habitat for other organisms.
3.
Soils can effectively remove impurities, kill disease agents, and degrade contaminants.
4.
Soils offer plants physical support, air, water, temperature moderation, nutrients, and
protection from toxins.
5.
Given sufficient time, a soil will evolve into a soil profile which consists of two or more layers,
referred to as soil horizons, that differ in one or more properties such as in their texture,
structure, density, porosity, consistency, temperature, color, and reactivity.

8. Why do we need it
Terra Preta

9. Why do we need it
16 Nutrients are essential to the human body, 17 if you include cobalt
Our soil provide 13 of those essential nutrients. Without the soil, we have NO life.
But what is happening to our soil?

10. Why do we need it
1992 Earth Summit Statistics

11. Number 1 export in U.S. (in tonnage)?
Barge moving Corn and Soybeans down the Mississippi

12. The United States alone loses 2 billion tons of topsoil per year
References
1 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Soil Survey Division Staff (1993). "Soil Survey Manual." USDA Handbook 18. Chapter 3.
2http://www.ce.cmu.edu/~gdrg/readings/2007/02/20/Pimental_EnvironmentalEnergeticAndEconomicComparisonsOfOrganicAndConventionalFarmingSystems.pdf
3 http://discovermagazine.com/2001/may/feateatlocal
•The lowdown on topsoil: It's disappearing
•Mann, C (2008). "Our Good Earth". National Geographic Magazine 214 (3): 80–107.

13. The United States alone loses 2 billion tons of topsoil per year
Question:
If loaded on to rail cars, how long
would a train need to be to hold 2
billion tons of soil?
Answer:
It would wrap around the globe 7 times.
(About 170,000 miles long)
That’s just for one year and just for the U.S. alone.

14. Erosion

15. Conclusion
The earlier US shale oil bonanza spin spread by the IEA is now in the minds of thousands of planners and
government officials. Preparations for future oil decline – already overdue – will be further delayed. The new
EIA data tell a somehow different story but the damage has been done. And reality will be different yet
again. Moreover, shale oil will neither stop armed conflicts in the Middle East impacting on oil supplies nor
solve the budget problems in many countries where oil production has already peaked.

16. We have increased domestic oil production, but at what cost?
How likely is radium to cause cancer?
Exposure to high levels of radium results in
an increased incidence of bone, liver, and
breast cancer. The EPA and the National
Academy of Sciences, Committee on
Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, has
stated that radium is a known human
carcinogen.

17. We have increased domestic oil production, but at what cost?
Ohio State law bans radioactive shale-well sand and sludge from
Ohio landfills. However, brine can be sent down any of Ohio’s 171
active disposal wells regardless of how much radium it contains.
Michael Snee, the Ohio Department of Health’s radiation-protection
chief, said that’s the safest place for brine.“Injection wells are almost
the perfect solution for that disposal issue,” Snee said.

18. We have increased domestic oil production, but at what cost?
Radium has been tested at levels
36 times higher than the state’s
safety standard.
Some critics say they worry that
Ohio municipalities will spray shale
brine on roadways in winter to
combat ice.
There are no restrictions against
using shale-well brine on Ohio
roadways.

19. We have increased domestic oil production, but at what cost?
Consumption over last 100+ Years
•WE have used up about:
•Half the topsoil
•Half the oil
•Half the rainforests
•Third of all natural gas
•Third of all coal
Ecocide
Tar Sands Before and After

20. Global Water

21. Global Water
The World’s Water Supply
However, only about 3% is fresh water.
Of that 3%,
70% is locked in glaciers
29% is found underground in aquifers
1% is found in lakes, rivers, & streams

22. United States Water
With about half of the country still suffering from extreme drought, farmers and businesses in the Western United States
are looking at another hot, dry summer.
And the country's water risk is a lot worse than most assessments suggest, according to a recent study from the
Columbia University Water Center. Our food costs are tied to their ability to produce food in a cost effective manner.

23. How does all this impact our health
Our bodies are complex systems
that can eventually wear down
due to continual bombardment by
outside stimuli. The medical
profession has stated this over
and over, but business and
government refuse to change.

24. How does all this impact our health
American Lung Association 2013

25. No air pollution here…
China Beijing

26. www.airnow.gov

27. Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski said the latest species of algae bloom is one “we
haven’t seen before, and there is cycling in the lake we’ve never seen before. At
this point, we just don’t understand it.”
The root cause, however, is clear — the run-off of manure and fertilizers from
watershed lands feeding the lake.
The Dayton Daily News

28. Goal of Permaculture Design
Reverses the CONSUMPTION model
into a CREATION model.
• Build the topsoil while growing healthy food
• Grow enough healthy food to feed the world
• Repair devastated lands – Re-grow rainforests
• Produce the energy we need
• Create resilient communities and cities
• Improve everyone’s overall quality of life
• Possibly retard/reverse global warming

31. What is Permaculture
Ethics
1. Care of the Earth - Provisions for all life systems to continue and multiply.
2. Care of People - Provision for people to access those resources necessary to their existence
3. Set limits and redistribute surplus.

32. What is Permaculture
Prime Directive
“The only ethical decision is to take
responsibility for own existence and that
of our children.”
- Bill Mollison
The painting to the right is titled, The
Doctor, and was painted in 1877 by Sir
Luke Fildes. This poignant image
always makes me think… as a parent, a
caregiver, and a permaculturist, this
painting hits me on so many levels. We
are at the bedside of a sick patient. That
sick patient is our children’s future, and
we have a cure if we choose to use it. The
Permaculture Prime Directive gets to the
core of the matter.

33. What is Permaculture
The Twelve Principles of Permaculture
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observe and interact – By taking the time to engage with nature we can design solutions that
suit our particular situation.
Catch and store energy – By developing systems that collect resources when they are
abundant, we can use them in times of need.
Obtain a yield – Ensure that you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the work that you
are doing.
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 that are available to us,
nothing goes to waste.

34. What is Permaculture
The Twelve Principles of Permaculture
•
•
•
•
•
•
Design from patterns to details – By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and
society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go.
Integrate rather than segregate – By putting the right things in the right place, relationships
develop between those things and they work together to 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 in which it resides.
Use edges and value the marginal – The interface between things is where the most
interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive
elements in the system.
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.

35. •
Observe and interact – By taking the time to engage with nature we can design solutions that
suit our particular situation.
Observation is key to permaculture. Developing good
observation skills is essential if we want to make wellfunctioning permaculture designs.
By observing natural and social patterns we are able to
use them in our design work - this relates to Bill
Mollison's philosophy of 'work with nature, not against'.
We have to know how nature works if we want to be
able to work with it.
"Good design depends on a free and harmonious
relationship between nature and people, in which careful
observation and thoughtful interaction provide the design
inspiration." David Holmgren
This is what I call “Do nothing” and
“Do something”

36. •
Catch and store energy – By developing systems that collect resources when they are
abundant, we can use them in times of need.
Energy on our properties include:
Sunlight - capture it with passive solar housing design, solar
panels, solar water heating, solar cooking, and of course,
plants! (see biomass below)
Wind - capture it with a variety of windmill designs
Water - capture it in ponds (see below) and with flow through
micro-hydroelectric, capture it from roofs (see this post on
Roof Rain Harvesting), with swales, and from road/path runoff.
Biomass - capture it in growing things: fruits, vegetables, logs,
firewood, twigs for crafts, animal (meat, milk, and fiber), fish,
honey, etc.
We can store our energy the following ways:
Batteries - Stored electricity from solar, hydro, wind
generation
Food - By preserving foods with dehydration, canning,
freezing, smoking, fermenting, etc. By making wine, beer,
mead, etc. By using intensive rotational grazing of livestock to
maximize foods for our animals
Water - Can be stored in the soil itself, or in dams,
ponds, cisterns, etc.
Organic Matter - stored in the form of compost
(produced from components on our property),
reducing erosion with terraces, swales, and good
land management practices, collecting debris and
driftwood from streams that pass through our
property
Heat - Good insulation in our buildings, well
designed wind breaks that keep chilling winds from
hitting our buildings, gardens, and livestock, stored
firewood to use later
Plants - Can be stored as tubers and bulbs and
seeds for future plantings
Money - Money is just an easily transferable form of
energy that everyone agrees to use and has
standard trading values. Saving money is another
way to save energy. Properly handling our money,
avoiding debt, and investing wisely are just more
examples of catching and storing energy.

37. •
Obtain a yield – Ensure that you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the work that you
are doing.
The essence of this principle is that with whatever
energy you are going to contribute to something, there
must be a worthwhile result.
We can consider this in many aspects of our lives - work,
financial investments etc; but most definitely this
applies to what we are cultivating in our food gardens.

38. •
Apply self-regulation and accept feedback – We need to discourage inappropriate activity to
ensure that systems can continue to function well.
An obvious example of this is that permaculture has a
set of ethics that aim to regulate how permaculture
designers and practitioners behave, in particular that we
accept limits to our consumption so that we do not take
more than the earth is able to provide.
Self-maintaining systems are the 'holy grail' of
permaculture, and can be seen in designs for forest
gardens, in which work is minimized by planting ground
covers to reduce weeds, nitrogen fixers to replace
fertilizers and perennial and self-seeding plants to
reduce annual plantings.

39. The same philosophy can be used for cities

40. •
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.

41. •
Produce no waste – By valuing and making use of all the resources that are available to us,
nothing goes to waste.

42. •
Design from patterns to details – By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and
society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go.

43. •
Integrate rather than segregate – By putting the right things in the right place, relationships
develop between those things and they work together to support each other.
Automotive – Cradle to Grave
Permaculture – Cradle to Cradle
“Many hands make light work”

44. •
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.
Systems should be designed to function at the smallest
scale that is practical and energy efficient
This concept links to one of the "Golden Rules" from Bill
Mollison's Designers Manual - start small, get it under
control and then slowly expand the perimeter - or put
another way, don't take on too much too quickly, as you
are likely to be overwhelmed.
This idea is known as Appropriate Scale. The solution
should fit the problem exactly, not too big or too small...
just appropriate.

45. •
Use and value diversity – Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes
advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.

46. •
Use edges and value the marginal – The interface between things is where the most
interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive
elements in the system.

47. •
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.
I believe that this principle is really talking about two types of change
and our reaction to it. The first is change that is seen or anticipated. A
prime example of this is the concept of succession. In ecology,
succession is the change that an environment will go through as it
progresses toward maturity or climax.
An idealized illustration is how an abandoned farm field will become
overgrown with weeds and grasses and then become a meadow then an
early forest and then a mature forest. Another example is the
progression of the seasons from Summer to Autumn to Winter to Spring
and back around again.
The other type of change is the change that is
unforeseen. The change for which we did not
plan. This can be anything from a tree that is killed by
lightning, wind, or TOO MUCH SNOW and COLD
Also, remember that not all unforeseen change is
negative.

48. Let’s discuss the following design
10 Ft x 10 Ft with 1 inch of rain = ?

49. Good, Better, Best
Eat your yard – Michael Seliga

50. “What permaculturists are doing is (some of) the most
important activity that any group is doing on the planet.
We don’t know what the details of a truly sustainable future
are going to be like, but we need options.
We need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and
permaculturists are one of the critical groups that are doing
that.”
Dr. David Suzuki
Geneticist
Renowned Environmentalist and
Broadcaster
Author of more than 30 books,
Host of the Canadian TV series
“The Nature of Things”
Weekly Syndicated Columnist

51. Cruck House
UK Based Design – Hardiness Zone 8A

52. Cruck House

53. Cruck House

54. Cruck House
Hendersonville Tenn.

55. Swales
Berms
Rain garden
Ponds
Water filtration
Water restoration
Water storage
Food forest
Front yard gardens
Sheet mulch
Plant guilds
Orchards
Keylining
Green manure
Cover crops
Biochar
Compost Tea
Fog screen
Rain saucer
Root Cellar
Food storage
Canning
Dehydrating
Beekeeping
Foraging
Tea Gardens
Medicinal Garden
Fermentation
Solar cooking
Solar energy
Wind energy
Hydroelectricity
Hydroponics
Aquaponics
Water barrel
Composting
Bio-Intensive
Biodynamic
Organics
Agro forestry
Mycelium
Hugelkultur Bed
Seed balls
Guerilla garden
Greenhouse
Grafting
Plant Propagation
Seed collection
Cob
Straw bale
Compressed earth
Prairie restoration
Desert greening
Wood Gasification
Biodiesel
Waste vegetable oil
Methane
Animal husbandry
Vermiculture
Civil Engineering
Packaging
Automotive Design
Rocket stoves
Masonry heaters
Architecture design
Community planning
Community orchards
Community gardens
Chinampa’s
Rooftop garden
Green roof
Air purification
Water purification
Ground restoration
City restoration
CSA farms
Flood prevention
Damns
Spillways
Educators

58. Thank You
www.greatlakespermaculture.com