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@What
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@Permaculture is a word
originally coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the mid 1970's
to describe an "integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating
plants and animal species useful to man (Mollison & Holmgren,
1978)."The permaculture vision of permanent (sustainable) agriculture
means a sustainable way of living which encompasses the people, their
buildings and the ways they organize themselves around a sustainable,
organic food production system. Elements of permaculture such as water,
soil, plants, animals, buildings, people and economy are all inter-connected.
Permaculture, in other words, is a designed system based on ecological
principles which provide the organizational framework for implementing
the above stated vision. In this sense, permaculture is not the landscape,
or even the skills of organic and sustainable farming, energy-efficient
building or eco-village development. It is a holistic method which
is used to design, establish, manage and improve efforts made by individuals
and communities towards a sustainable future.
@Permaculture design is site-specific. It tries to integrate the traditional
culture and wisdom with modern life. The basic design principles,
applicable to the semi-arid zones where water is often one of the
limiting factors, can be summarized as five main ideas below:
1. Making ridges along the land contours for planting vegetables
and trees; this process facilitates water-harvesting , thus making
water required for irrigation less.
2. CONSERVE ENERGY: Maximize the retention of as plants, animals,
watercourses, buildings and roads need to be designed and placed
in a way that facilitates the mutually beneficial functions.
3. PRODUCE INTEGRATE RATHER THAN SEGREGATE: Elements in a permaculture
system such NO WASTE: All productive activities in a permaculture
system should produce no waste; the by-product of a particular activity
becomes an input for another activity.
4. USE AND VALUE DIVERSITY: Plant and animal biodiversity promotes
the stability of the permaculture system; tree crops and vegetables
should be mixed together.
5. FOLLOW AND MAKE USE OF NATURAL PATTERNS: natural inputs such
as rainfall; improving the soil properties by mulching the topsoil
with natural materials like fallen leaves is essential.
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@Permaculture:
Characteristics and Functional Diagram of Permaculture Elements |
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| @‘@Permaculture: Characteristics and Functional
Diagram of Permaculture Elements |
- sustainability (= environmentally
self-reliant life supporting system)
- close to nature (= minimum fossil
energy used)
- biodiversity conservation (= coexistence
with plants and animals)
- old but modern (= revival of traditional
wisdom) and agricultural tradition
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Functional Diagram
of Permaculture Elements
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@Process
of establishing permaculture farm |
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| @Step 1: Site Design |
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@Observe the surrounding resources (forest, river, aquatic
products, etc.), topography, climate, soil, water, animals,
among others. Assess the site's potentials and restrictions.
Design buildings and land using patterns to accommodate
extreme conditions such as natural disasters.
@Place the frequently visited elements such as vegetable
gardens and a hen house close to the house. Designate
each area according to the needs (more needed-close; less-far)
in order to facilitate efficient movement (so-called "zoning").
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@.Step 2: Building structures
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@ Design and construct a house, work area, food storage, greenhouse,
shade house and trellises maximizing the use of natural
energy inputs (sun, wind, rain, etc.)
@The photo on the right is the education center in NICCO's
farm in Jordan, constructed using traditional design and
materials. It is built in a desert climate where the maximum
daytime temperature can reach 50 degrees Celsius. Local
traditional practices are used to make this a cooler place
with temperature around 25 degrees when outside temperature
is 50. The passive cooling system includes: 80 cm thick
mud brick walls; a room with unglazed pots filled with
water to cool the incoming hot air (an annex on the right
with a large window); air rotating tower using the temperature
differential created by the movement of the sun; and wind
chimneys that allow the hot air to escape through and
let cool air down. |
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| Step3: Design a kitchen garden and seed beds |
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@Design a kitchen garden and seed beds and place them in the
area closest to the house, just outside the kitchen door.
Build waterworks and banana circles that reuse raw waste
and domestic wastewater as fertilizer for bananas. Avoid
the use of high salt, phosphorus-containing detergents
and use liquid detergents (which are generally much lower
in salt content) or pure soap flakes (corresponding to
Zone 1) |
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| Step 4: Establish Fruit & Grain Areas and
on-farm forest |
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@In areas designated for fruit trees,
plant legume trees such as acacia first to enrich soil
by prompting nitrogen fixation.The top soil should be
covered with organic mulch for shading and keeping moisture
such as green manure (normally a non-edible fast growing
weed) or fallen leaves. As some plants do better when
in the company of other plants, mixed planting is advised
to increase plant performance. This includes planting
flowers, herbs or vegetables to repel or trap harmful
insects while inviting beneficial insects and birds(Zone
3).
@Even if paddy cannot be cultivated, grain such as barley,
maize, millet and tubers is needed to feed domesticated
animals in addition to the domestic human consumption
(Zone 4).
Plant trees to surround the farm for protection against
wind and fire. The latter may include: high moisture plants,
fire-resistant shrubs and less flammable trees (Zone 5).
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Step 5: Design an animal husbandry system
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@Raising poultry and other domestic animals is essential for
the provision of good-quality fertilizer. Small animals
such as chickens and rabbits are kept near the house (Zones
1 and 2) while the larger ones such as pigs and cows as
well as bees are raised in outer zones (3 and 4). |
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| Step 6: Interaction with Urban System |
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@Towards more sustainable and nature-conscious urban lifestyle,
we need to establish a system where energy and material
are used more efficiently, with less dependency on fossil
fuel. Until now, urban-rural exchange and cooperation
are indispensable. We need to create a system of coexistence
where man and nature can collaborate. To make such a system,
we must promote and integrate such individual efforts
as: putting kitchen wastes into organic fertilizers; choosing
organically grown crops; and living close to the workplace
for less dependence on fossil energy.
We will be delighted to hear your comments and ideas on
these subjects!
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Permaculture Zones:Zones 1 through 5
correspond to the description above.
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| @Photos |
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Education Center at NICCO Farm in Jordan
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wind chimney of the center, acting as a fan |
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temperature is kept around 25 degrees inside the center |
Trees are selected for planting not only for food but
also for other purposes such as windbreak and insect control. |
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"Duck juice": liquid fertilizer for the farm
- direct application of excreta from ducks, geese, etc. |
"A-frame": an indispensable tool for digging
swales (= ditches with an un-compacted earth mound on
the lower side which is typically used as a tree growing
system) |
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