People Care, a Manifesto, Part One
on 02. Jan
Is permaculture just a fancy name for ”cooler” organic gardening?
Permaculture is a design philosophy /methodology and set of practices that aim to create sustainable and self-sufficient human settlements and agricultural systems. It is based on the principles of working with, rather than against, nature; maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste; and taking a holistic and integrated approach to design.
Permaculture practices include using diverse plant and animal species in mutually beneficial relationships, incorporating elements such as composting, water management, and natural building materials into designs, and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources. Permaculture can be applied to a wide range of contexts, including urban and rural settings, and is often used in agriculture, forestry, and land management.
Some common techniques and strategies used in permaculture include:
- Plant guilds: Groupings of plants that have mutually beneficial relationships, such as a fruit tree surrounded by nitrogen-fixing plants, pest-deterring plants, and plants that attract beneficial insects.
- Polycultures: Planting a diverse mix of crops together, rather than a monoculture of a single crop, which can improve soil health, increase pest and disease resistance, and improve overall yield.
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural systems, often by planting trees and crops together in a way that maximizes their productivity and ecological benefits. Good example is the multistrata agroforestry - the food forest.
- Water harvesting and management: Capturing and storing rainwater and using it efficiently, through techniques such as swales, contour planting, and cisterns.
- Composting: Decomposing organic matter to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used to fertilize plants.
Permaculture has the potential to help create more sustainable and resilient communities and food systems, and is increasingly being adopted around the world as a way to address environmental and social challenges.
If you want to learn more about permaculture and permaculture education read on at https://nordicpermaculture.org
Heating with the sun - a solar air heater
on 16. Sep
Solar air heaters are passive solar element that can heat rooms during cold days while the sun is shining. Building one is a piece of cake
A taste of Nordic Permaculture – the Nordic Permaculture Festival 2022
on 06. Sep
In August 2022 the Nordic Permaculture Festival was held in Finland for the 2nd time. Venue was the Kurjen Ecovillage and Rautiala festive house in Vesilahti, close to Tampere.
What do you want to learn in terms of sustainability?
on 17. Aug
Some years back I asked myself “What do I want to learn about sustainability?”. I couldn’t answer that question right away. I researched different universities – but nothing about sustainability in the terms of a holistic approach was available.… more
A modern way into the Permaculture Design Certificate
on 01. Aug
In 2022 we run our first PDC here at Beyond Buckthorns. Dominik designed it using permaculture ethics and design. Read about observations and the design.
From plans to build - a Kontiki kiln for charcoal making
on 01. Jul
In order to close the loop of my biogas systems outputs I thought of a mixture of shit, piss, effluent and charcoal some years ago. The only missing component was until recently the charcoal. Charcoal making is an art on its own, especially if… more