Permaculture

See Factor E Farm Site Plan

The term related to either "Permanent Agriculture" or "Permanent Culture". Permaculture is a systems thinking design model focusing on sustainable and regenerative systems. It considers ecological theory informed by the lifestyles of indigenous cultures as well as modern technological advancements. Permaculture ranges a diverse field of design methods, anything from perennial-based agricultural systems, to the homestead, to individual or community structures.

The majority of permaculture design is considered within the framework of 'zones'. David Holmgren has also theorized a series of 'meta-zones' in which he describes spheres of influence. In this meta-zone system, Zone 0 represents a person's core, their self, whereby energy inputted for change has a high likelihood of impact or result. This series of meta-zones ends at the global level; at the global level one is less likely to experience any form of direct impact.

Permaculture is considered a unique design system because of its core values and principles. While it was once considered a fringe movement of alternative culture, permaculture is now seen as an intelligent, informed, and truly important body of study:

"'What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet. We don't know what details of a truly sustainable future are going to be like, but we need options, we need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and permaculturists are one of the critical gangs that are doing that.'" - Dr David Suzuki geneticist, broadcaster, and international environmental advocate

Wikipedia: permaculture References et al

There is a growing movement dealing with Open Source Permaculture, in which all the agricultural information and genetic resources are shared.

Online Resources

 * Permaculture: A Designer's Manual by Bill Mollison. The book that started it all, available on The Pirate Bay.
 * An Introduction to Permaculture - a torrent with 12 gigabytes of educational books and videos about permaculture, agroforestry and things like that. Includes The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka.
 * Permaculture Wiki
 * WikiEducator: permaculture design
 * WikiEducator: category:permaculture
 * Plants for a Future Database >7k species, lots edible perennials
 * NewCrop Perdue's edible species profiles
 * AgroForestryTree Database World Agroforestry Center's tree species profiles
 * Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Network more agroforestry resources
 * Food and Nutrition Library 2.2 lots of free e-books on food, nutrition, farming