Permaculture

BASICS WITH ARANYA FARM EXAMPLES

The well known Permaculture Philosophy……

“The philosophy behind permaculture is one of the

working with, rather than against, nature; of

protracted and thoughtful observation rather than

protracted and thoughtless action; of looking at system

in all their functions, rather than asking only one yield

of them; and of allowing systems to demonstrate their

own evolution”

- BILL MOLLISON

PERMACULTURE Permaculture - A theory of ecological design ,attempts to develop

sustainable human settlements & agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems

A comprehensive design process, permaculture is apart from other developmental approaches

Core values :

• Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply• Care of People: Provision for people to access those resources

necessary for their existence• Setting Limits to Population and Consumption: By governing our own

needs, we can set resources aside to further the above principles

CARE OF EARTHCoexistence of several

life forms in Aranya farm

CARE OF PEOPLEPeople living

in Aranya Farm

Permaculture is not a fixed system

It is not a gardening association, an architects group, ethical

banking institution or farmers federation

it does not tell people what to do

It does not say "what to put where“

Rather, it encourages people to think, to observe and to plan

It encourages people to live in harmony with nature to imitate and learn from nature

Sustainable designs

• Permaculture design emphasizes patterns of landscape, function, and species assemblies

• Where does this (element) go? • How can it be placed for the maximum benefit of the

system?• The central idea is Maximizing useful connections

between components and synergy  of the final design

• The whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts

A Sustainable Design- Aranya Farm

Aranya Farm Description

• Aranya farm - 4.5 ha, Since 1997• Location- Biddakanne Village,Zaheerabad,AP,India• Land component –Soil : Laterite soil major,1/4th black soil Slope : gentle slope N-S,E-S• Water component- well source• Tree component- 90 % Perennial trees,10 % Annuals/crops

Aranya Farm - Different Components

Wind break Live Fence Reserve Forest Mixed Fruit Orchard Mixed Forest Open Well Bore well with Motor Nursery beds Cereals Oilseeds Pulses Plot Percolation tank Germplasm Plot Live Fence Compost Heap Nursery Fodder crop Area Thatched hut 3 People

Aranya Farm – Different species PERRENIALS FOOD FRUIT TREES

Mango,Sapota,Papaya,Gauva,Pineapple,Sitaphal,Bher,Kalajamun,Jackfruit,Amla,Citrus,Cashewnut,Phalsa,Fig,Star Fruit, Passion Fruit e.t.c.

OTHERS Moringa, Indian Almond, Tamarind, Curry Leaf e.t.c. WOOD Teak,Pongamia,Eucalyptus,Rosewood,Sandal

wood,SilverOak,Bamboo,Casuarina,Terminalia GREEN LEAF MANURE Albezia ,Glyricidia,Pongamia,Dalbergia,Subabul UTILITY

Neem,Cassia,Caesalpinia,Shikakai,Soapnut,Palms,Kalimi,Karonda,Tipu Exotic

Other - Cactus

Aranya Farm – Different Species

FIELD CROPS- Wheat,Sorghum,Lentil,Linseed,ChickPea,Safflower,

Turmeric,Greengram,Horsegram,Blackgram,pegionpea,Cowpea,Sorrel,putti,mustard,Sesamum,Foxtail Millet, ado Millet, Little Millet e.t.c

VEGETABLES- Tomato, Egg plant,Clusterbean,Frenchbean,Chilly

e.t.c Leafy – Spinach,Fenugreek,Coriander,Mint,Hibiscus

variety Creeper –

Coccinia,Bittergourd,Bottlegourd,Ridgegourd,snake gourd e.t.c

Ex : Polyculture Agriculture

Multiple crops in the same space, imitate interactions between the species of a natural ecosystem, no

monocropping or single component

ARANYA FARM

It is a way of• Looking at a whole system or problem• Observing how the parts relate• Planning to mend inefficient systems by

applying ideas learned from long-term sustainable working systems

• Seeing connections between key parts

Modern permaculture is a system design tool

Holmgren's 12 design principles

1) Observe and interact2) Catch and store energy3) Obtain a yield4) Apply self-regulation and accept feedback5) Use and value renewable resources and services6) Produce no waste7) Design from patterns to details8) Integrate rather than segregate9) Use small and slow solutions10)Use and value diversity11)Use edges and value the marginal12)Creatively use and respond to change

Patterns

• Permaculture design focuses heavily upon natural patterns

• Everything, the wind, the waves and the Earth moving around the Sun, form patterns

• One has to develop an awareness of the patterns that exist in nature & how they can be used to satisfy the specific design needs of a specific site

EDGE EFFECT in ecology is the effect of the placing side by

side of contrasting environments on an ecosystem

ZONES are a way of organizing design elements in a human environment on the basis of the frequency of human use and plant or animal needs

LAYERS are one of the tools used to design functional ecosystems that are both sustainable and of direct benefit to man

Seven principles of permaculture

1. Conservation2. Stacking functions 3. Repeating functions 4. Reciprocity5. Appropriate scale6. Diversity7. Give away the surplus

Conservation: Use only what is needed

• For example, Usage of storage structure for water usage to be conscious of how much we are using so as to only use what they actually need

Stacking functions : Getting many outputs from one element in a system

• For example, a tree might be an element in your system. A tree can provide shade, shelter wildlife, produce mulch and building materials, be a wind break, fertilize the soil, prevent erosion, raise the water table, etc

Reciprocity: Utilizing yields of each element to meet needs of other elements in the system

• A good example of this is composting. Left over organic matter or kitchen waste can be used as an input to our compost pile and when it's in the compost pile it will turn into valuable fertilizer which we can then put back to the garden. So u can see that the inputs and the outputs are circulating within our system

Repeating functions : We meet every need in multiple ways

• For example, a pit naturally formed can be left for groundwater recharge or also for letting grow aquatic species

Appropriate scale: Should be on a human scale & doable with available time, skills, and money

• The farm design and components included should be manageable and workable within limits of our available resources

Diversity : creating resilience by utilizing many elements

• We can have a farm which has a variety of plants rather than a field with only say wheat /monocropping

• In case of a drought or excess wet period there is complete crop loss in monocropping but in diversified crop system even if one or few crops are damaged the rest sustain and give output

• So, the idea is that the way to create a resilient system that can survive and get through difficulties is by having many different elements

Give away the surplus: Create systems that are abundant and share the abundance rather than hoarding it for ourselves

• Example of this is the perennial plant nursery, If we can hold extra stock we could give it to the community groups for planting, that would be a value added sharing the abundance

Site Observation and Analysis

• Through patient and thoughtful observation during all seasons and climatic extremes, we can learn to cooperate with the natural processes already at work on a site

• We can integrate human components into some parts of the natural environment to maximize their productivity, while leaving many areas in their wild state

Relative Placement

• Living creatures form beneficial relationships, where the placement of one serves the needs of another

• A fruit tree in an orchard can attract birds

• The birds in turn can help in natural pest management on crops

Multiple Elements for Each Function

• Important functions tend to be supported by more than one component.

• The conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen, for example, is a vital planetary function.

• It is supported by many elements, including trees, plants, soil micro-organisms and ocean plankton

Multiple Functions for Each Element

• Each component of a system performs several functions, creating relationships with many other elements

• Birds, for example, provide meat, eggs, manure, feathers, carbon dioxide, methane and heat for other nearby life forms

• They promote vegetation by dispersing seeds, pollinating plants, eating insects

Using Biological Resources

• In Nature life builds upon itself to create more life.

• Things feed upon one another in the animal, insect, plant and microbial realms

• The life in a system increases over time as energy from the sun is captured and stored in living tissue, and as inert minerals are converted into organic compounds

Recycling Energy and Nutrients

• Once captured by a local system, energy and nutrients cycle through it over and over before eventually leaving

• A molecule of water, for example, may be absorbed by the soil, and then assimilated by a plant root

• The plant may be eaten by a squirrel, which is eaten by a coyote, who in turn excretes the water molecule onto the forest floor

• Once again in the soil, it may be taken up by a tree and transpired into the air, where it is carried away by the wind

Mimicking Natural Succession• When a forest is disturbed,

Nature begins the healing process by sending in hardy plants that in other situations might be called weeds

• They prevent erosion, fix nitrogen, create mulch, bring up nutrients from the subsoil, and re establish the delicate balance of soil micro-organisms

• Over time, the soil begins to support herbs and flowers, perennial plants, shrubs, pioneer trees and vines.

• Eventually, conditions become favourable for climax trees, and a healthy forest matures, this can take a century or more

Maximizing Diversity• Diversity in a system is indicated not by the number of its

components, but by the number of symbiotic relationships among them

• Multiple associations nurture each life form, thereby increasing the stability and resilience of the whole system

• The edge between two ecosystems is an special diverse area

Stacking in Space and in Time• In a vibrant system, life flourishes in every available niche.• Vegetation carpets the soil, birds nest in trees, plants grow from

cracks in rocks, insects burrow into the ground, moss hangs from ranches, lichen cling to boulders, carnivores thrive on small rodents, and on and on

• Nature also stacks living creatures in time, so that at any one moment, some are just beginning, some are reaching maturity, and some are decaying

Using Appropriate Technology

• Natural systems function quite well without human technology

• A tree, for example, is an extremely efficient solar collector

OLD PERMACULTURE FARMS IN EARLY NINETYS

DIFFERENT PERMACULTURE FARMS

ARANYA FARM

Our Future We as individuals can accept

responsibility for the destructive pressures on remaining forests and reserves 

We can start reducing our consumption

We can increase our productivity and enrich our lifestyles

We can choose a lifestyle that is holistic and provides us with many of our needs and rewards us with long term cultural enrichment

We can produce natural systems where we live that help absorb our waste

"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" - Mollison

“ When enough people lead the leaders will follow “

THANK YOU