Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources Alternative Farming Systems Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) P.O. Box 3657 Fayetteville, AR 72702 Phone: 1-800-346-9140 --- FAX: (501) 442-9842 Index Introduction to permaculture Permaculture defined Characteristics of permaculture The practical application of permaculture The ethics of permaculture The principles of permaculture design Permaculture FAQ , contributed to by many over a period of five years or so and edited and published on the ATTRA website by Steve Diver, ATTRA information specialist. http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/perma.html [Steve plans a revision of this document in the near future] <><><><><><><><><> Permaculture resources United States Australia Around the world Books on permaculture A few good books for the permaculturist's bookshelf Permaculture e-mail discussion groups & web links About this publication (formerly The Permaculture FAQ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction The word "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, and one of his students, David Holmgren. It is a contraction of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture." Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and community building movement which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature. A central theme in permaculture is the design of ecological landscapes that produce food. Emphasis is placed on multi-use plants, cultural practices such as sheet mulching and trellising, and the integration of animals to recycle nutrients and graze weeds. However, permaculture entails much more than just food production. Energy-efficient buildings, waste water treatment, recycling, and land stewardship in general are other important components of permaculture. More recently, permaculture has expanded its purview to include economic and social structures that support the evolution and development of more permanent communities, such as co-housing projects and eco-villages. As such, permaculture design concepts are applicable to urban as well as rural settings, and are appropriate for single households as well as whole farms and villages. "Integrated farming" and "ecological engineering" are terms sometimes used to describe perma-culture, with "cultivated ecology" perhaps coming the closest. Though helpful, these terms alone do not capture the holistic nature of permaculture; thus, the following definitions are included here to provide additional insight. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Defined From Bill Mollison: Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. From the Permaculture Drylands Institute, published in The Permaculture Activist (Autumn 1989): Permaculture: the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways. From Lee Barnes (former editor of Katuah Journal and Permaculture Connections), Waynesville, North Carolina: Permaculture (PERMAnent agriCULTURE or PERMAnent CULTURE) is a sustainable design system stressing the harmonious interrelationship of humans, plants, animals and the Earth. To paraphrase the founder of permaculture, designer Bill Mollison: Permaculture principles focus on thoughtful designs for small-scale intensive systems which are labor efficient and which use biological resources instead of fossil fuels. Designs stress ecological connections and closed energy and material loops. The core of permaculture is design and the working relationships and connections between all things. Each component in a system performs multiple functions, and each function is supported by many elements. Key to efficient design is observation and replication of natural ecosystems, where designers maximize diversity with polycultures, stress efficient energy planning for houses and settlement, using and accelerating natural plant succession, and increasing the highly productive "edge-zones" within the system. From Michael Pilarski, founder of Friends of the Trees, published in International Green Front Report (1988): Permaculture is: the design of land use systems that are sustainable and environmentally sound; the design of culturally appropriate systems which lead to social stability; a design system characterized by an integrated application of ecological principles in land use; an international movement for land use planning and design; an ethical system stressing positivism and cooperation. In the broadest sense, permaculture refers to land use systems which promote stability in society, utilize resources in a sustainable way and preserve wildlife habitat and the genetic diversity of wild and domestic plants and animals. It is a synthesis of ecology and geography, of observation and design. Permaculture involves ethics of earth care because the sustainable use of land cannot be separated from life-styles and philosophical issues. From a Bay Area Permaculture Group brochure, published in West Coast Permaculture News & Gossip and Sustainable Living Newsletter (Fall 1995): Permaculture is a practical concept which can be applied in the city, on the farm, and in the wilderness. Its principles empower people to establish highly productive environments providing for food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs, including economic. Carefully observing natural patterns characteristic of a particular site, the permaculture designer gradually discerns optimal methods for integrating water catchment, human shelter, and energy systems with tree crops, edible and useful perennial plants, domestic and wild animals and aquaculture. Permaculture adopts techniques and principles from ecology, appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous peoples. The ethical basis of permaculture rests upon care of the earth-maintaining a system in which all life can thrive. This includes human access to resources and provisions, but not the accumulation of wealth, power, or land beyond their needs. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Characteristics of Permaculture† Permaculture is one of the most holistic, integrated systems analysis and design methodologies found in the world. Permaculture can be applied to create productive ecosystems from the human- use standpoint or to help degraded ecosystems recover health and wildness. Permaculture can be applied in any ecosystem, no matter how degraded. Permaculture values and validates traditional knowledge and experience. Permaculture incorporates sustainable agriculture practices and land management techniques and strategies from around the world. Permaculture is a bridge between traditional cultures and emergent earth-tuned cultures. Permaculture promotes organic agriculture which does not use pesticides to pollute the environment. Permaculture aims to maximize symbiotic and synergistic relationships between site components. Permaculture is urban planning as well as rural land design. Permaculture design is site specific, client specific, and culture specific. †Source: Pilarski, Michael (ed.) 1994. Restoration Forestry. Kivaki Press, Durango, CO. p. 450. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Practical Application of Permaculture Permaculture is not limited to plant and animal agriculture, but also includes community planning and development, use of appropriate technologies (coupled with an adjustment of life-style), and adoption of concepts and philosophies that are both earth-based and people-centered, such as bioregionalism. Many of the appropriate technologies advocated by permaculturists are well known. Among these are solar and wind power, composting toilets, solar greenhouses, energy efficient housing, and solar food cooking and drying. Due to the inherent sustainability of perennial cropping systems, permaculture places a heavy emphasis on tree crops. Systems that integrate annual and perennial crops-such as alley cropping and agroforestry-take advantage of "the edge effect," increase biological diversity, and offer other characteristics missing in mono- culture systems. Thus, multicropping systems that blend woody perennials and annuals hold promise as viable techniques for large-scale farming. Ecological methods of production for any specific crop or farming system (e.g., soil building practices, biological pest control, composting) are central to permaculture as well as to sustainable agriculture in general. Since permaculture is not a production system, per se, but rather a land use and community planning philosophy, it is not limited to a specific method of production. Furthermore, as perma-culture principles may be adapted to farms or villages worldwide, it is site specific and there-fore amenable to locally adapted techniques of production. As an example, standard organic farming and gardening techniques utilizing cover crops, green manures, crop rotation, and mulches are empha-sized in permacultural systems. However, there are many other options and technologies avail-able to sustainable farmers working within a permacultural framework (e.g., chisel plows, no-till implements, spading implements, compost turners, rotational grazing). The decision as to which "system" is employed is site-specific and management dependent. Farming systems and techniques commonly associated with permaculture include agro- forestry, swales, contour plantings, Keyline agriculture (soil and water management), hedgerows and windbreaks, and integrated farming systems such as pond-dike aquaculture, aquaponics, intercropping, and polyculture. Gardening and recycling methods common to permaculture include edible landscaping, keyhole gardening, companion planting, trellising, sheet mulching, chicken tractors, solar greenhouses, spiral herb gardens, swales, and vermicomposting. Water collection, management, and re-use systems like Keyline, greywater, rain catchment, constructed wetlands, aquaponics (the integra-tion of hydroponics with recirculating aquaculture), and solar aquatic ponds (also known as Living Machines) play an important role in permaculture designs. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ethics of Permaculture Permaculture is unique among alternative farming systems (e.g., organic, sustainable, eco-agriculture, biodynamic) in that it works with a set of ethics that suggest we think and act responsibly in relation to each other and the earth. The ethics of permaculture provide a sense of place in the larger scheme of things, and serve as a guidepost to right livelihood in concert with the global community and the environment, rather than individualism and indifference. Care of the Earth ...includes all living and non-living things–plants, animals, land, water and air Care of People ...promotes self-reliance and community responsibility–access to resources necessary for existence Setting Limits to Population & Consumption ...gives away surplus–contribution of surplus time, labor, money, information, and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care. Permaculture also acknowledges a basic life ethic, which recognizes the intrinsic worth of every living thing. A tree has value in itself, even if it presents no commercial value to humans. That the tree is alive and functioning is worthwhile. It is doing its part in nature: recycling litter, producing oxygen, sequestering carbon dioxide, sheltering animals, building soils, and so on. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Principles of Permaculture Design Whereas permaculture ethics are more akin to broad moral values or codes of behavior, the principles of permaculture provide a set of universally applicable guidelines which can be used in designing sustainable habitats. Distilled from multiple disciplines–ecology, energy conservation, landscape design, and environmental science–these principles are inherent in any permaculture design, in any climate, and at any scale. Relative location Each element performs multiple functions Each function is supported by many elements Energy efficient planning Using biological resources Energy cycling Small-scale intensive systems Natural plant succession and stacking Polyculture and diversity of species Increasing "edge" within a system Observe and replicate natural patterns Pay attention to scale Attitude Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Resources Four ways to learn about permaculture include: the permaculture design course, the permaculture literature, the Internet, and permaculture workshops. The Permaculture Design Course is the primary vehicle for transfer of permaculture expertise. The standard course is 72 hours in length and lasts two weeks. Graduates are issued a permaculture design certificate and are entitled to use the term "Permaculture" in the pursuit of livelihood and for educational purposes. The permaculture literature is a rich source of information on a wide range of topics dealing with land use, plant and animal agriculture, water management, appropriate technology, energy-efficient and toxic-free housing, and community design. Since 1995, the Internet (e.g., World Wide Web and E-mail) has become an important resource and networking tool in the dissemination of permaculture information. A selection of web sites is listed below. Permaculture workshops are commonly held as one- to three-day events to provide training on technologies such as vermicomposting, solar greenhouses, straw bale construction, sheet mulching, and organic gardening. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Resources in the United States The Permaculture Activist P.O. Box 1209W Black Mountain, NC 28711 828-298-2812 828-298-6441 Fax pcactiv@sunsite.unc.edu http://metalab.unc.edu/pc-activist/ The Permaculture Activist is the leading periodical for North American permaculture. It publishes articles on permaculture, edible landscaping, bioregionalism, aquaculture, etc, and provides a current listing of upcoming permaculture design courses. It serves as an important networking tool in the U.S., Canada, and Central America. Back issues are available. Yankee Permaculture, Elfin Permaculture, and Forest Ecosystem Rescue Network (FERN) P.O. Box 52 Sparr, FL 32192 Editor: Dan Hemenway Email: YankeePerm@aol.com, and Elfpermact@aol.com Cost: $27.50 for four issues http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html Yankee permaculture carries a number of publications on permaculture specific to North America. Past issues of Dan Hemenway's publications are still used in permaculture courses and as reference guides. A complete listing of articles, information sheets, and publications is available at the website listed above. The Resources of International Permaculture - TRIP. Volume 5 of TRIP, published in 1993, is a 68-page issue that contains 1,540 listings of groups working in permaculture, sustainable food systems, and tree-based agriculture. Current up-to-date listings are available on diskette. The International Permaculture Solutions Journal (TIPS) and Permaculture Review, Overview and Digest (PROD) are published on a sporadical basis. TIPS and PROD feature permaculture articles, book reviews, and resources. The International Permaculture Species Yearbook (TIPSY). Prior to TIPS, Yankee Permaculture put out a fantastic yearbook called TIPSY. The TIPSY series is a goldmine featuring plant species lists, articles, and resource listings. Robin newsletter is a publication of FERN that deals with forest issues. Restoration Forestry Friends of the Trees P. O. Box 4469 Bellingham, WA 98227 (360) 738-4972 (360) 671-9668 Fax Editor: Michael Pilarski http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/ Restoration Forestry: An International Guide to Sustainable Forestry Practices (1994) is a 525-page guide to resources in restoration forestry. It contains over 50 review articles, 780 organizations, 230 journals and periodicals, 800 books, 100 restoration forestry projects underway, and 100 directories on topics relating to Restoration forestry, forest ecology, tree seedlings, bioregionalism, and permaculture. It is a massive addition to tree-based agricultural literature. Cost is $27, plus $4 postage & handling. Agroforestry Guide to Hawaii: A Resource Guide Directory to Reforestation, Restoration, Forestry, Agroforestry, Permaculture & Sustainable Agriculture in the Hawaiian Islands (1997) is a 187-page directory with over 800 references. Cost is $22, plus $3.30 postage & handling. Other publications from Friends of the Trees include the International Green Front Report (1988, $7.00); Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal (Vol. 6, $17.20); and Third World Resource Guide (1993, $5.00) and the West Coast Permaculture News & Gossip newsletter. Travelers Earth Repair Network (TERN) is a database maintained by Friends of the Trees containing over 2,500 permaculture contacts in 100-plus countries. The aim is to link travelers with individuals and organizations involved in sustainable agriculture, forestry, permaculture, and ecological restoration. The fee to access the TERN database is $50. Hosts are listed free of charge. Permaculture Drylands Journal Permaculture Drylands Institute P.O. Box 156 Santa Fe, NM 87504-0156 (505) 983-0663 Cost: $25, 3 issues per year http://members.aol.com/pdrylands/PDIhome1.htm Permaculture Drylands Journal (formerly Sustain- able Living in Drylands) is published in April, August, and December by the Permaculture Drylands Educa- tion and Research Institute. It focuses on permaculture concepts and designs for arid lands, with a heavy focus on New Mexico and Arizona. PDJ has published articles on straw bale buildings, solar box cookers, dryland farming, and many other topics of interest; back issues are available. PDI offers a regular series of Permaculture Design Courses. Dry Country News Box 23-J Radium Springs, NM 88054 Cost: $10, 4 issues per year http://www.zianet.com/drynews/ Dry Country News is devoted to Earth-based, low- impact living in the American Southwest. Whether you call it homesteading, permaculture, or sustainable living, Dry Country News is packed with information of interest to desert dwellers everywhere. Topics covered include alternative construction methods (straw bale, cob, adobe, etc.), gardening in a difficult desert climate, solar energy techniques and applications, desert herbs for food and medicine, sustainable irrigation methods (rainwater catchments, drip, pitcher) and more. Earthword Journal Eos Institute 580 Broadway, Suite 200 Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (714) 497-1896 Cost: $20, 4 issues Earthword Journal is a glossy permaculture magazine published collaboratively by Eos Institute and the permaculture Institute of Southern California. It explores the ecological interface between urban and rural communities and is geared to the professional designer, architect, and land-use planner. The Bay Area Permculture Guild Bay Area Permaculture Group P.O. Box 9606 San Rafael, CA 94901 Email: bapg@slip.net http://www.nbn.com/~bapg/ Cost: $20, 4 issues per year The Bay Area Permculture Guild is a newsletter for he emerging grassroots movement of Permaculture in the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding Shasta Bio- region. The newsletter is published four times a year in the cross quarter months: February, May, August, and November. Contents include events, sites, teachers, books, and permaculture strategies. Temperate Bamboo Quarterly Earth Advocates Research Facility 30 Myers Road Summertown, TN 38483 (615) 964-4151 Cost: $24, quarterly http://www.gaia.org/farm/businesses/bamboo /tbq.html Temperate Bamboo Quarterly is a quarterly publication from Earth Advocates, a permaculture team run by Sue and Adam Turtle. It focuses on the bamboo plant which has unique, multi-purpose uses. They also operate a nursery with dozens of bamboo species. Permaculture Resources P.O. Box 65 56 Farmersville Rd Califon, N.J. 07830 (800) 832-6285 http://www.jump.net/users/perma/ Educational publisher and distributor of permaculture resources and publications. The Future is Abundant http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/tilth/ First published in 1982 by Tilth, The Future is Abundant is a classic resource book on permaculture at the bioregional level. Though long out-of-print, it is now available on the Internet. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Resources in Australia Permaculture International Journal Permaculture International Ltd. P.O. Box PG6039 South Lismore, NSW 2480 Australia Phone: (066) 220 020 International: (066) 220 579 Cost: U.S. $24, quarterly (available in the U.S. through The Permaculture Activist) http://nornet.nor.com.au/environment/perma/ PIJ serves as the leading periodical for permaculture worldwide. It contains articles, book reviews, and news of permacultural events around the world. It serves as an important networking tool. Back issues to the early 1980s are available. The Permaculture Edge Permaculture Nambour, Inc. P.O. Box 148 Inglewood 6050 Western Australia Cost: U.S. $20, quarterly (available in the U.S. through The Permaculture Activist) The Permaculture Edge aims to report activities that are seen to be at the cutting edge of permaculture developments around the world. The "permaculture edge" refers to the "edge effect" found at the boundaries of two ecological systems where there is more synergism, biological activity, and variations in the microenvironment and which can be used to increase yields in designed systems. It also points to permaculture ideas as being "at the edge" of a change in the push towards a sustainable future. International Permaculture Institute P.O. Box 1 Tyalgum, NSW 2484 Australia Phone: (066) 793 442 perminst@peg.apc.org The International Permaculture Institute in Tyalgum, Australia, serves as the international coordinating organization for permaculture activities such as permaculture design accreditation. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Resources Around the World Permaculture Magazine UK: Ecological Solutions for Everyday Life Permanent Publications Hyden House Limited Little Hyden Lane Clandfield, Hampshire PO8 ORU England Cost: U.S. $24, quarterly (available in the U.S. through The Permaculture Activist) Email: permaculture@gn.apc.org http://www.gaia.org/permaculture A quarterly journal published in cooperation with the Permaculture Association of Great Britain. It contains articles, book reviews, and solutions from Britain and Europe. A good source for temperate agroforestry species and permaculture design projects. Earth Repair Catalog - Permanent Publications (UK) http://www.permaculture.co.uk/ A project of Permanent Publications in Great Britain, publisher of Permaculture Magazine UK. The Earth Repair Catalog is a wide selection of books, videos, and resources on permaculture topics: organic gardening; biodynamics; agroforestry; farming; aquaculture; animals; ecological architecture & sustainable building technology; human-scale economy & development; community & groups; and energy saving products. GroundCover Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe Box CY 301 Causeway, Harare Zimbabwe Telephone/Fax: (+4) 726911 Cost: U.S. $30, per year The Organic Farming Sourcebook. 1996. The Other India Press Above Mapusa Clinic Mapusa 403 507 Goa India Fax: 91-832-263305 The Organic Farming Sourcebook, a resource-rich 338-page guidebook that provides a dynamic treatment of organic agriculture in India, with up-to-date articles, resources, contacts, and suppliers. In modern India, 70% of its 900 million inhabitants still depend on agriculture as a livelihood. These farmers draw upon four thousand years of sustainable farming experience. However, European colonialism and Green Revolution technology has wreaked havoc on natural farming methods in India, and the Sourcebook documents and supports the efforts of the emerging organic farming and permaculture movements in India. Highly recommended. A Resource Guide of Organizations Promoting Organic Farming in East Africa Region. 1995. Kenya Institute of Organic Farming P.O. Box 34972 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254-2) 732-487 Fax (254-2) 581-178 Email: kiof@elci.gn.apc.org. A Resource Guide of Organizations Promoting Organic Farming in East Africa Region is a 116-page resource guide edited by John Kanyuiro, Kihia and John Wanjau Njoroge. It provides names, contact information and brief descriptions of organizations working to promote, research or support organic agriculture in East Africa. Contact Kenya Institute of Organic Farming for price and ordering information. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Books on Permaculture Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay. 1991. Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, Australia. 198 p. Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements, 3rd ed (Reprint of 1978 ed) by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. 1987. Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, New South Wales, Australia. 127 p. Permaculture Two: A Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture by Bill Mollison. 1979. Tagari Press, Stanley, Australia. 150 p. Permaculture: A Designer's Manual by Bill Mollison. 1988. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 576 p. The Best of Permaculture by Max O. Lindegger and Robert Tap. 1986. Nascimanere Publishers, Nambour, Australia. 136 p. The Permaculture Way: Practical Ways to Create a Self-Sustaining World by Graham Bell. 1992. Thorsons, London. 239 p. The Permaculture Garden by Graham Bell. 1994. Thorsons, London. 170 p. Urban Permaculture by David Watkins. 1993. Permanent Publications, U.K. 152 p. Permaculture in a Nutshell by Patrick Whitefield. 1993. Permanent Publications, U.K. 75 p. Earth User's Guide to Permaculture by Rosemary Morrow and Rob Allsop. 1994. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW Australia. 152 p. Getting Started in Permaculture by Ross and Jennifer Mars. 1995. Candlelight Trust, Hovea, Western Australia. 60 p. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Few Good Books for the Permaculturist's Bookshelf Cornucopia: A Source Book of Edible Plants by Stephen Facciola. 1990. Kampong Publications, Vista, CA. 678 p. Designing & Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourick. 1986. Metamorphic Press, Santa Rosa, CA. 370 p. Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by J. Russell Smith. 1987. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 408 p. The Permaculture Book of Ferment & Human Nutrition by Bill Mollison. 1993. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 288 p. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Books & Proceedings on Agroforestry Temperature Agroforestry Systems, edited by Andrew M. Gordon and Steven M. Newman. 1997. CAB International, New York, NY. 269 p. This is a landmark book on agroforestry for temperate regions. Chapters include agforestry practices in North America, New Zealand, Australia, China, and Europe. Read this book for working examples of permaculture on a broad-scale. Building a Sustainable Future: Proceedings of the 4th North American Agroforestry Conference edited by John H. Ehrenreich, Dixie L. Ehrenreich, and Harry W. Lee. 1996. Held July 1995 in Boise, Idaho. College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Stations, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. 200 p. Topics covered in the proceedings include: agro- forestry potential, biology of temperate agro-forestry systems, economics of agroforestry, temperate agroforestry cropping systems, riparian buffer strips, silvopastoral systems, alley cropping and inter-cropping, and windbreaks and shelterbelts. Cost is $40, checks payable to University of Idaho: Dr. John Ehrenreich College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Stations, University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-1135 Tel: 208-885-7600 Fax: 208-885-5878 Email: dixie@uidaho.edu Opportunities for Agroforestry in the Temperate Zone Worldwide edited by Richard C. Schultz, and Joe P.Calletti. 1994. Proceedings of the Third North American Temperate Agroforestry Conference. Held August 1993 in Ames, Iowa. Order from: Department of Forestry 251 Bessey Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-1021 515-294-1166 Agroforestry and Sustainable Systems: Symposium Proceedings edited by W.J. Rietveld. 1995. Held August 7-10, 1994 in Fort Collins, Colorado. General Technical Report RM-GTR-261. USDA-Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 276 p. Topics in the proceedings include: riparian buffer systems, soil bioengineering-the use of dormant woody planting for slope protection, windbreak systems, living snowfences, trees and pasture, agroforestry and wildlife, status of agroforestry in 5 agroclimatic regions of the U.S., agroforestry-enhanced biodiversity, & conservation trees. Agroforestry Today ICRAF Subscriptions P.O. Box 46 Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 4TS England $40/4 issues per year Agroforestry Today is a quarterly magazine that carries reports from around the world on farming systems that focus on the integration of trees, crops, and livestock, and the people who raise them. It is one of the leading voices for agro-forestry worldwide. While the content deals mostly with sub-tropical and tropical agro-forestry, much of the information has universal applications (e.g., mycorrhizae, on-farm research methods, soil-plant interactions, tree establishment methods, etc.) Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA) School of Natural Resources 1-30 Agricultural Hall University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 http://www.missouri.edu/~afta/ http://gis.umn.edu/~hperry/agroforestry.html $25/year membership fee includes subscription to The Temperate Agroforester, quarterly newsletter. The National Agroforestry Center Rocky Mountain and Range Experiment Station University of Nebraska - East Campus Lincoln, NE 68583-0822 402-437-5178 http://www.unl.edu/nac/ Publishes InsideAgroforestry newsletter, provides technical assistance to landowners on windbreaks and agroforestry, sponsors research, distributes literature. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture E-Mail Discussion Groups & Web Links E-Mail Discussion Groups, Web Forums, and Archives Permaculture Mailing List on University of North Carolina listserv permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu (post articles to this address) To subscribe, send email to "listserv@oit.unc.edu" type: SUBSCRIBE PERMACULTURE YOUR NAME in the body of the message Permaculture Mailing List on EnviroLink listserv permaculture@envirolink.org (post articles to this address) To subscribe, send email to "listproc@envirolink.org" type: SUBSCRIBE PERMACULTURE YOUR NAME in the body of the message Central (California) Coast Permaculture Guild Mailing List ccpg@rain.seattleantioch.edu (post articles to this address) To subscribe, send email to "majordomo@rain.seattleantioch.edu" type: SUBSCRIBE CCPG Permaculture Mailing List in Western Australia perma@eepo.com.au (post articles to this address) To subscribe, send email to "listserv@eepo.com.au" type: SUBSCRIBE PERMA YOUR NAME in the body of message Permaculture Forum at Permaculture the Earth http://www.permaearth.org/discus/board.html Permaculture Archives at Sunsite http://sunSITE.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html Permaculture Archives at Communications for a Sustainable Future http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/lists/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manuals, Primers, and Syllabi on Permaculture The Future is Abundant http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/tilth/ A Permaculture Primer http://hueylong.cadgis.lsu.edu/lhin/visitor/html/primer/ Permaculture: Using Eco-Logical Design to Feed Ourselves http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Geo/SenSem/Shapley2/Permaculture-outline.html Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On-Line Articles, Fact Sheets, & Proceedings on Permaculture Permaculture by Sego Jackson. Originally published in IN CONTEXT #8, Winter 1984. http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC08/Jackson.htm Permaculture: Design For Living by Bill Mollison. Originally published in IN CONTEXT #28, Spring 1991 http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC28/Mollison.htm WWF Permaculture Fact Sheet (South Africa) http://www.panda.org/resources/factsheets/enviroecon/frame.htm?07perm.htm Building A Bamboo Farm: Using Permaculture Principles in Bamboo Agroforestry by Simon Henderson. One of several on-line articles at Permaculture the Earth http://www.permaearth.org/bamboo.html On-line articles on Permaculture the Earth http://www.permaearth.org/writings.html Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996 http://www.cowan.edu.au/~paustin/ipc6/ Introduction to Permaculture and The Terrible Time of Day by Andrew Jeeves and Bill Mollison. Pamphlet I in the Permaculture Design Course Series. Published by Yankee Permaculture http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/yankee_intro.html Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture in North America InterGarden: Organic Gardening & Permaculture Information at U.N.C. http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/The_Sustainable_Farmstead.html Permaculture Resources http://www.jump.net/users/perma/ Permaculture Guide at Communications for a Sustainable Future http://csf.colorado.edu:8080/ Permaculture and Sustainable Living & Livelihood at CSF http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ International Institute for Ecological Agriculture http://www.permaculture-institute.org/ Bay Area Permaculture Guild http://www.nbn.com/~bapg/ Permaculture Institute of Northern California http://www.nbn.com/people/bapg/pinc.html Central Valley Permaculture Group (California State University Stanislaus) http://arnica.csustan.edu/permaculture/ Cross Timbers Permaculture Institute in Texas http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ctpi/cross_t.htm Friends of the Trees http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/ Permaculture Drylands Institute http://members.aol.com/pdrylands/PDIhome1.htm The Permaculture Activist - Zine Site http://www.desert-moon.com/xines/frames/titles/249.html Dry Country News http://kumo.swcp.com/xines/ Permaculture at Heathcote Intentional Community http://www.welch.jhu.edu/~lfelch/heathcote.html Permaculture Community Action Worknet (Toronto, Canada) http://www.web.net/~mulchman/ Ecology and Permaculture Network of Mexico http://www.tortuga.com/earth/ La'akea Permaculture Gardens http://www.permaculture-hawaii.com/ Animal Farm Permaculture Center http://www.neosoft.com/~animalfm/afpchome.htm Dreamtime Village Permaculture Hyper-Media http://net22.com/dreamtime/index.shtml Pecos River Farms Permaculture Research Center http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/8033/ The Archimedes Project: Living Systems Design Group http://www.livingsystems.com/arch.html Permaculture the Earth http://www.permaearth.org/ Pedro's Permaculture Pointers http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/pclinks.html Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture in Australia Permaculture International Journal (Australia) http://nornet.nor.com.au/environment/perma/ Email: pcjournal@peg.apc.org International Permaculture Institute (Australia) Email: perminst@peg.apc.org Permaculture Global Assistance Network (Australia) http://www.peg.apc.org/~pgan Permaculture in Western Australia http://www.eepo.com.au/perma/ Permaculture Visions - International'Correspondence Course (Australia) http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/ Permaculture Visions - International Correspondence Course (Australia) http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/ Correspondence Course on Permaculture (Australia) http://www.qldnet.com.au/acs/hort/permaculture.html Far South Coast Permaculture (Australia) http://www.acr.net.au/perma/mainperm.html Permaculture on Carmela's Home Page http://www.ozoline.com.au/permaculture/index.html The Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet http://www.nor.com.au/tourism/nimbin/jarl.htm Eco-Logical Solutions, Ltd. http://www.gaia.org/crystalwaters/els.html#els Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996 http://www.cowan.edu.au/~paustin/ipc6/ Earthlink- Australia's Environmentally Friendly Directory (formerly Green Pages) http://www.green-pages.com.au/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture in Europe British Permaculture Magazine/Permanent Publications Web Site http://www.gaia.org/permaculture PermaWeb in Great Britain http://www.sysmag.com/permaweb Permaculture Association (Britain) http://www.sysmag.com/permaweb/groups/pcbritain Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Around the World Permaculture on "Mind•Body•Spirit" Web Page (South Africa) http://www.pix.za/mbs/body/perma.htm Permaculture Fact Sheet (South Africa) http://www.panda.org/resources/factsheets/enviroecon/frame.htm?07perm.htm Permaculture Japan Suite http://www.saitama-j.or.jp/~nexus/permaculture/perma.html Permakultur Austria http://ifl.boku.ac.at:80/research/permakultur/home.html http://2012.org/permakultur/pka/index.html Permakultur@2012.org (Germany) http://2012.org/permakultur/ (German version) http://2012.org/permakultur/indexe.html (English version) Green Agriculture Under Blue Skies (Spain) http://www.renview.com/lamohea/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plants for Permaculture Plants for a Future On-Line http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/index.html Atcros On Internet - The World Wide Web version of the Australasian Tree Crops Sourcebook http://www.aoi.com.au/atcros/ The Vetiver Grass Network http://www.vetiver.org/ The American Bamboo Society http://www.bamboo.org/abs/ The Duckweed Clearinghouse http://www.prism-usa.org/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permaculture Technologies Keyline Design - Water for Every Farm http://www.keyline.com.au/ Alternative Technology Association (ATA) http://www.ata.org.au/ The Solar Cooking Archive http://www.accessone.com/~sbcn/index.htm Sustainable Building Sourcebook http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/ Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture http://www.aquaponics.com/ Ocean Arks International Home Page http://www.earthbase.org/guests/oai/ Integrated Biosystems http://www.ias.unu.edu/vfellow/foo/ibs/index.htm Fish Polyculture Used in Wastewater Treatment by Oleg Daugovish. Stensund Wastewater Treatment at Stensund,Trosa, Sweden http://www.algonet.se/~stensund/aqua/students/oleg.htm Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bioregional & Eco-Village Links Institute for Bioregional Studies http://www.cycor.ca/IBS/ EcoVillage Information Service http://www.gaia.org/ Intentional Communities on the Web http://www.well.com/user/cmty/index.html The Farm EcoVillage Training Center http://www.gaia.org/farm/ Crystal Waters Permaculture Village http://www.gaia.org/crystalwaters/cw_toc.html#cw_toc Earthaven Eco-Village http://www.earthaven.org Arcosanti (Arizona) http://www.arcosanti.org Auroville (India) http://www.auroville-india.org/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virtual Libraries on Permaculture & Sustainability Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/ Sustainable Architecture Building & Culture http://www.west.net/~prince/index.htm Sustainable Earth Electronic Library http://www.envirolink.org/pubs/index.html#library_subject_areas Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agroforestry Web Sites The Temperate Agroforestry Homepage http://gis.umn.edu/~hperry/agroforestry.html The Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA) http://www.missouri.edu/~afta/afta_home.html National Agroforestry Center http://www.unl.edu/nac/ The Agroforestry Concept http://crappie.gis.umn.edu/~hperry/AFTA/concept.html Agroforestry for Farms & Ranches - Agroforestry Technical Note No. 1 http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/BCS/forest/tnote1.html Agroforestry Articles & Resources in Rodale's International Ag-Sieve http://fadr.msu.ru/rodale/agsieve/txt/agrofor.html Urban and Community Forestry Resource Materials Guide http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~forestry/guide/index.html Agroforestry Research Trust http://members.aol.com/AgroResTr/homepage.html Forests, Trees and People Programme & Network http://www-trees.slu.se/index.html International Union of Forestry Research Organizations http://iufro.boku.ac.at/ Afforestation in South Africa http://www.panda.org/resources/factsheets/forests/frame.htm?22affor.htm ICRAF - International Center for Research in Agroforestry http://www.cgiar.org/icraf/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Holistic Planning & Land Management Center for Holistic Management http://www.holisticmanagement.org/ Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Publication Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources is a revised and updated version of The Permaculture FAQ, which was originally published by the author on the World Wide Web in 1995 with locations at: http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/faq.html and http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/permaculture/faq.v1.3 A permaculture design course graduate, the author is a technical specialist in horticulture and agronomy at the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, the national sustainable farming information center located at the University of Arkansas. The focus of the ATTRA program is on farming systems that enhance the economic livelihoods of farm families while sustaining the environment. ATTRA provides resources and technical assistance to commercial farmers, including small farmers and market gardeners, in the United States. Accordingly, the focus of this publication in on permaculture in the temperate U.S. with some emphasis on broad-scale application such as agroforestry and bio-integrated production systems. Please send updates or additions by e-mail to: steved@ncatark.uark.edu Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepared by Steve Diver ATTRA Technical Specialist Revised May 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ATTRA Project is operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology under a grant from the Rural Business - Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies, or individuals. ATTRA is located in the Ozark Mountains on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, at PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72702. ATTRA staff prefer to receive requests for information about sustainable agriculture via the toll-free number 800-346-9140. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------