When To Start Implementing Permaculture.
When people say that they intend to do permaculture at a later stage they
forget that permaculture provides benefits from day one. They are missing
these benefits and worse, some of their work may prove to be unnecessary,
some of it may need to be modified. Planning is the key to successful permaculture
and starting a design from stratch is easier than a plan that must respect
previous well intentioned efforts.
Starting Out Hard -
Permaculture for the working poor
If you are a member of the fast growing community of working poor, a modern
'cockey' (one with land and no more) or simply hard up, starting out can
seem impossible. Add to this the possibility of drought or other problems
and you feel helpless. However, there are many advantages to being without
funds to do everything straight away. You have time for modification and
improvement of your plan, time to learn and most of all time to observe.
At least, you are less likely to make big mistakes. Big mistakes
are far too common. Consider the destruction to date of the good soil in
the Australian Murray district by the quick solution found with bore water
or the numerous cases of erosion by overstocking and removal of shrubs
and trees for more pasture. Look at all the alternatives. Rather than sinking
a bore, assess the feasibility of shallow water courses and raising the
water table with trees. Harvest all the rain water AND condensation available
to you.
The best advice I have found is :
ASK. Conversation is cheap and you are bound to get something
from it. Speak to your neighbours about their garden and animals. If a
discussion becomes awkward raise topics with a question and avoid confrontation
as this will only limit your exchange of knowledge. Always help a person
to feel proud about the positive things they have done.
The Value of Elders
REMEMBER the value of Elders especially those in your area, they have often
come from a self-reliant culture. Some young people don't have elders to
even show them how to catch a chicken. Elders are often delighted to teach
and they are part of a dwindling resource of local practical advise.
Books
Permactulre Books and Magazines are available in some libraries and most
large bookstores (Recommended books include Earth Users Guide to Permaculture
by Rosemary Morrow; Permaculture One and Permaculture Designers'
Manual by Mollison; Guide to Edible Gardening by Jackie French;
The Permaculture Way by Grahame Bell and many others. Magazines
include: Permaculture International Journal, Earth Garden and Grass
Roots. Radio programs/TV programs including The Global Gardener
and The Permaculture Concept (avail. on Video); Gardening Australia
or Open learning may have a different view of how systems should
be set up but it's handy to know what theories permaculture is up against).
Join local branches of relevant associations such as Permaculture Association
(list available from Permaculture International) or Organic Growers,
Seed Savers or Diggers Club. Even some local gardening clubs
have contact names. Consider joining specialist clubs for Worm growers,
Bee keepers, Poultry or Rare Breeds associations as you become more interested
in a special field of permaculture.
If your library doesn't have the books you want, ask them to get them
in. Show them Permaculture is a growing field and of vital importance to
the growing body of under-employed people who have limited funds and are
wanting to become self reliant. Remember that you will eventually have
more funds available for books of your own by reducing your dependence
on consumer goods.
Join your local LETS group for exchange and access to resources that
may not be normally available to you.
Some Vital Skills
You will probably need to know only these two main things in order to start
cheaply without setbacks:
1). How to collect seed and propagate your own plants.
2). How to design a system to nurture young plants and minimise
waste.
Plan. All gardening books and, for that matter, books on lifestyles,
even economics, say "plan, plan, plan". Allow room for modification in
your plans but always try not to be swayed by fashion. Stick to the original
goals no matter how testing they may become at times. If something isn't
working ask 'why?'.
Collect material suitable for mulching, pathways/stepping stones,
potting, seed raising, propagation, labelling, tying, staking, pond surrounds
and liners, animal shelter and water containers, urea, seeds from all your
bought vegetables, carrot tops, old potatoes, compost. Establish a willing
supply among your friends, shop owners and other contacts for grass clippings,
wood ash, paper waste, old tyres, metal drums (to make compost tumblers,
compost bins, liquid manure, duck houses, water collection), used cooking
oil (useful for preserving wood outdoors). They may even deliver it if
you live closer to them than the dump. You will find a use for nearly everything
you used to throw away. (You will also become less tolerant of non-reusable
packaging). Put out requests now for things that will take a long time
to collect E.g. Old oil heaters for rain water collection.
Start Today, Start Small. Instead of buying a small luxury every
now and then, buy something that will increase in value to you. If you
have learnt about seed raising give it a shot. Start with something you
enjoy and will give you encouragement. My pre-schooler planted a packet
of daisy seeds to get him started. They survived very poor soil, forgetfulness,
periods of over watering, tugging and freshly manufactured toddler urea.
If you, too, are faced with no tools, no potting mix, no seed, plants
or pots and no money try these.:
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MODIFY HOME and LIFESTYLE
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Each day that you manage to reduce your domestic waste and pollution is
a step toward a cleaner future.
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Eat more nutritious foods, fresh and raw foods will sustain you, so you
can fight to sustain the environment.
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Start eating what you intend to grow (this helps with your plan, and seed),
buy less processed foods (providing organic waste for compost). What food
can be faster than a bannana?
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Buy mainly local fruit and vegetable that is in season and buy a lot of
it. This helps you to become accustomed to gluts and try inventive cooking,
pickling and preserving the fruit or vegetables.
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Buy no more packaged chemical cleaners and reduce personal hygiene products
to necessities.
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Use no chemicals for pest control - look for permanent measures such as
metal fly wire/screen.
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When you next visit the supermarket you will not need to buy a big range
of cleaners and pre-packaged goods, and many aisles will be a wasted walk.
Your grocery bill will also be lessened considerably.
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Use Permaculture as a source of entertainment or 'info'tainment for the
family, encourage the 'cook' or animal-lover to pursue their interest with
passion. Worms are good entertainment for a busy family in a unit. Compost
is complex and worthy of experiment. Potted plants can be given names and
adornments. (E.g. "A Cactus named Thatcher"- even better if its edible).
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Drive less and use public transport. Bicycles are the best mode of transport.
Shop by mail or telephone.
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Reduce water consumption, and electricity. E.g. try switching off the fridge
in winter. Imagine the quiet.
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Start to think resourcefully, having no money stimulates your creativity.
Do you really need to install/replace an expensive fence when the money
could be spent better on a living fence? Thinking long term is important
for people with limited resources. Think of your work now as a living asset.
Do something or learn something today that will pay tomorrow and keep paying.
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SOIL
Collect soil if you have none from demolition blocks. My Aunt managed
to regularly dig up soil from her mother's place, put it into pots, transported
it by bus and carted it up to her home unit balcony. Others have collected
soil in the wee small hours of the night, from construction zones, put
it in baby baths and dragged it home. Start composting as soon as possible.
Balcony composting is possible. If you have no balcony and a dark unit,
don't despair - the worms will love your place. Keep them under the sink,
in the laundry and in the closet. They don't smell unless you tip them
out. Try growing sprouts in dark kitchens.
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NO SOIL PLANTS
You don't need soil for sprouted seed and watercress. They grow easily
and cleanly in the kitchen. Some plants will grow on a layer of paper and
cardboard covered by shredded paper or straw: these include potatoes, sunflowers,
parrot mix.
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SEED RAISING MIX
Cheap and environmentally friendly seed raising mix making is easy.
Good seed raising mix needs only two components: lightening and moisture
retainer. Lightener: try to avoid sand as it is usually mined to the detriment
of a natural ecology, try chopped up plastic and polystyrene. Moisture
retainers: We use mushroom compost. (it is slightly alkaline to do not
use for planting up the maturing seedlings) Some people recommend coconut
fibre it can be hard to obtain. Sphagnum moss is expensive and renewable
(you can grow your own in shady moist plots) it is much environmentally
sensible than non-renewable peat moss. Remember you do not need new seed
raising mix each time you raise seeds. Recycle your mix. Only seeds
need seed raising mix. Once the plant is juvenile, save the mix that does
not hold roots for more seeds. If you are experiencing fungal attack -
heat the mix in your oven or in container on a slow open fire to sterilise
it and clean all pots before use. Better still, use freshly recycled plastic
margarine/milk or other containers. Seed raising mix does not need fertiliser.
Seeds have their own fertiliser until the plants are juvenile, replant
into soil or composting mulch at this time for their nutrients. We use
duck water for fertilizer.
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TOOLS Rejuvenate old tools with new handles, borrow tools from people who
may not use them often. Pay for them to be sharpened as a token of thanks
but always give the tools back or you'll cut that friendly supply. Don't
wait until the rightful owner asks for them back. You can use large kitchen
utensils that have started to rust. Potting requires no more than a stick
and pot shaped containers. Cheap scissors can be used to collect cuttings.
Look after your tools, they will be less likely to be stolen, buried in
the garden or cause damage to someone. Request tools for birthdays etc.
Let people know what you are searching for, and put the request in local
shop window, LETS notice etc. Go to second hand shops and garage sales
with great discipline, don't buy something else instead. Second-hand tools
are rare because they usually get misused and forgotten. Obviously people
don't need a lot of tools. You do need a few good tools if you are trying
to work a large area. Some tools can be hired: these include earth moving
equipment and heavy mulchers.
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LABOUR: Your local LETS will be a good source of labour. However, if you
have little money and even less time (as many do in the working-poor community)
consider offering the LETS group what you are good at. Do something you
can do faster than others, or something you can do comfortably in your
spare time and it becomes worthwhile. The exchange dollars will pay well
for labour costs. E.g. minding other people's children or cleaning other
people's homes is sometimes more fun than minding or cleaning your own.
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