permaculture?

I learned a new word today and am researching it-permaculter. Winona on this site mentioned starting her permaculter. Sounds like an interesting idea. What kind of plans do you have, Winona… any one else? I would love to learn more! Thanks.

Comments

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Hi pulse!

    My permaculture plan is quite extensive. But I think it’s important to remember to start small, and work your way up. I have a small salary, so it will take time to be able to purchase what I need. Here’s the plan:

    Buy 2 or 3 acres

    Dig a well

    Plant fruit trees

    Build a yurt deck

    Buy and construct a yurt

    Purchase solar electricity system

    Grow a vegetable garden

    Construct a greenhouse to grow vegetables in winter

    Reap the bountiful harvest :)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    Oh my goodness. That sounds so wonderful. I think I better start researching all the words in here I don’t know. hehe

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Becoming self sufficient is a challenge, but worthwhile. A place to start is learning to garden. Once you garden, you can trade veggies for goods and services with other local farmers and crafters. That way, you’re stepping out of the money system, and returning to bartering. Trading directly with folks gives them an honest wage, the most value for their products.

    Living in a yurt is sustainable. These structures last many years. You can have a composting toilet, well water, solar electricity and enclosed wood stove for heat. You grow your own food, harvest your own honey (if you choose to have bees). You leave no waste behind. Yurts themselves are made of biodegradable materials – wood and cloth. They are safe against intruders (as safe as any house!), they are weatherproof (buy one with more insulation), and they are beautiful.

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    So, how far along am I? Well, I’m just starting. Here’s what I have accomplished so far:

    -Learned to grow basil from seeds summer 08

    -Learning to sail a boat 08-09 (I feel this is an important eco friendly way to travel and a low impact way to see the lakes around me)

    -Lifestyle includes very little electricity (lights and blender only) accomplished summer 08

    -Going car free, using bikes and public transportation accomplished summer 08

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I soooo love the idea of all this stuff – I agree with starting with gardening. I am thinking that the money saved on fresh produce can be used to pay for goods or services you can’t trade for, too. :)

  • erinerin Raw Superstar

    I think permaculture is the way EVERYONE needs to go!! I just got a very simple book with lots of EASY permaculture projects in it. It is called Getting Started in Permaculture by Ross and Jenny Mars. Also, go check out this website on youtube. It’s a man and lady giving a tour of their amazing permaculture backyard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFIkJGAS8EI

    I have about 1/2 my front yard covered in vegetable/herb garden and am planning to make a small greenhouse for the winter out of old windows I have salvaged. I’ll let y’all know how it goes. Good luck!

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    ooo, i need to get a book about permaculture – great idea erin! it’s hard to make plans without knowing what I need. wow, there’s 10 books at my library about permaculture! perfect!

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    erin – thanks for the info. – I want that book!

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Wow, I just watched the video, and I’m amazed at what they’re doing with only 1/4 of an acre! :) Beautiful!

  • My partner and I are really into permaculture, just having returned from the three week Bullock Brothers Homestead permaculture design course on Orcas Island (Google it for more info). The word was coined by Bill Molleson, a contraction of permanent agriculture and permanent culture. It is a design system for creating sustainable human environments by creating systems that are ecologically sound, sustainable and economically viable. It is all about working with nature.

    Another book suggestion is “Toolbox for Sustainable City Living.” Great, practical ideas anyone can use, even with limited land and funds. It gives ideas about food, water, waste, energy, and bioremediation.

    We have 2 acres, veggie gardens, fruit and nut trees, berries and lots of wild food for foraging. We are just now putting together a gray water system to run the water from our washing machine out to a bog and then a pond for remediation. We use a composting toilet, have worm bins and a serious composting set up, save rainwater in barrels and tanks to water the garden, and keep our electrical use to a minimum. We just ordered a 12 X 20 ft. greenhouse so we can have fresh veggies through the winter. We try to ride bikes as often as possible, pulling a trailer to haul things back from town.

    There is a lot of information available to help move in small steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle. We have been working on this for many years. The most important thing is to be awake and aware of how our choices affect the environment and to make changes as we are able. No guilt—just change as we can.

  • a great book to read is gaia’s garden a guide to home scale permaculture by toby hemenway

  • Thanks for the info. It will help me in learning about this interesting idea. I am not sure how to emplement some of the things mentioned, but I have started by planting edible plants on my property! I was even eating some slippery elm bark (inner bark) yesterday. It’s pretty yummy actually, and during the civil war it was a main food source during valley forge, I believe! There is just so much to learn, and so little time and money!!!

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I’ve got a vegetable and an herb garden and have expanded each year a little bit more. I hope to plant fruit trees soon but I work pretty far from my home and that is the one thing in my life that isn’t local and conservative. Hopefully someday I’ll be able to just hippy it up!

  • I am so glad I found this thread! I just moved into a home that I am buying land contract with my bf. the previous owner did all the landscape in permaculture and I am trying to learn more about it. the house is just on the outskirts of the city so there is not much land but trees galore, fruit trees, pine trees and herbs and flowers everywhere-the house came with a red wiggler bin which I want to expand if anyone has any advice on how to do that, I have about 100 worms in there now. I work preparing raw food and I compost all scraps from work and home in a stand up bin and a large hole in the ground with a shipping crate and hinged lid. hey ERIN- I am also building a greenhouse out of old windows for winter- lets keep in touch as we construct them :) rain barrels are next on my list but I would like to use something already constructed and not buy new- or make one out of selvaged materials. I hear that the wooden ones can collect too much bacteria and the ones you can order from gaiam are made out of recycled plastic but there is no overflow built in. What do you all use? I am at my happiest when I am working to lessen my footprint and be self-relient Thanks all!

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Oh wow you are incredibly lucky! I’d like to hear what to use for rain barrels. Thoughts?

    My friend is talking to his neighbor to see if she’s willing to sell 4 acres of land. It would be so amazing, because i’d get to use the 50+ acres that is collectively owned by other neighbors in this sort of co-op type thing. I know it’s sort of a pipe-dream – because I could only buy the land if she’d be willing to accept 3 years of monthly payments. And I’m not even sure she’ll sell. But still, it’s nice to hope and dream.

  • Our rainbarrels are made from 60 gallon recycled food grade plastic barrels that once stored olives or pickled peppers. We added a faucet and overlow valve. Here is a good site that tells how to make one.

    http://www.naturalrainwater.com/make_rainbarrel.htm

    "Subvert the dominant paradigm"!

  • I always thought I was the crazy one. I have wanted a yurt for so long some land, a garden, you know, the simple things to be self sufficient. This is the way I was raised and now I live in the city and I feel disconnected sometimes. On my dream board I have pictures of my dream yurt village. Just the other day I stumbled upon this word too permaculture and it was funny how that one little word pretty much summed up the way I want to live. Close to home the Raw Vegan Source is having Jenny and Bruce speak and then hold classes once a moth for 6 months on permaculture. Classes sound nice but I think just researching and reading alot would help too. What a cool word, I love it.

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I'm currently planning a community garden and am going to try to incorporate the idea of permaculture into it.

    Aspire-if you're out there I'd love to hear how the community garden near you is run. Any tips would be hugely appreciated!

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