Emerging Patterns

Aly Lewis

Integrated Backyard HomesteadingL. Silva STOCKSCH 197A

CLIMATE

Just as a reminder, I live in USDA zone 10b, Delray Beach Florida.

BRAINSTORMING

Before writing on my notecards, I brainstormed on lined paper. I found my list was way too broad. I was listing categories, not elements.

For example, I listed IRRIGATION SUPPLIES and ANIMALS.

I re-wrote the list and broke down the categories into more specific elements.

For example, ANIMALS became chickens, feed, shelter, building materialsIRRIGATION SUPPLIES became well or city-water, rain-catch, filter

NOTECARDS:
Elements

I came up with 19 elements to start:

1. potting soil11. coop2. vermi-compost12. chickens3. organic matter13. feed4. perennial vegetables14. seeds5. sub-tropical/tropical fruit trees15. building materials6. annual vegetables16. medicinal plants7. rain-catch17. solar powered home8. water filter18. labor/time9. well or city water19. plant nursery10. irrigation supplies

Notecards: Initial Categories

I wrote each element on an index card and laid them out on the table. I shifted them around quite a bit to come up with categories. Each element I personally use now in my garden-space with the exception of chickens and solar power.

The 4 initial categories were:

Chickens, Irrigation Supplies, Plant Nursery, and Miscellaneous.

From Categories,To Goals

Everything felt a little disconnected. After reading the second question from our professor, I decided broader goals would help me organize the cards more efficiently.

I came up with 4 major goals:

1. WATER2. FOOD NEEDS3. INCOME SOURCE4. SOIL BUILDING.

Final Organization

Under the 4 Main Goals, I placed each and every element. I even added a 20th element teaching others under Income Source.GOAL 1 : WATERWater filter, well or city water, irrigation supplies, rain-catchGOAL 2: FOOD NEEDSperennial vegetables, annual vegetables, medicinal plants, sub-tropical/tropical fruit trees, chickens, coop, feed, building materialsGOAL 3: INCOME SOURCEpotting soil, seeds, plant nursery, solar-powered home, teaching othersGOAL 4: SOIL BUILDINGlabor and tme, organic matter, vermi-compost

Example:

Here is an example of the SOIL BUILDING goal.

Elements listed are Labor/Time, Organic Matter, and Vermicompost.

Final Examples

Some elements could potentially fall under two different goals, but I chose to focus on the primary function of each element.

For example, chickens (and the coop, feed, building materials needed to raise them) fell under food needs, primarily.However, chickens could also become an income source or they could be utilized under the soil building goal, if I purposefully rotate them.

Final Examples (cont.)

Another interesting observation was the element seeds could be used primarily under the goal of income source, but it could also fall under soil building, if I were to use a cover crop such as buckwheat or clover.

Conclusion

Eliminating categories helped me see the bigger picture and interconnectedness of the elements. The major goals helped me organize all of the cards thoughtfully. It also is helpful to remain flexible within these vital goals. For example, if vermi-compost isnt selling well as an income source, it is certainly still useful under the goals of food needs and soil building, as it contributes to disease control and overall health of the crops.

Nothing seemed out of place. If anything, it just became difficult to choose just one goal for each element to fall under. With almost all of my elements serving as multi-functional within different goals, I feel that I am close to achieving closed-loop systems that implement Permaculture design.