What is "permaculture" anyways? At its simplest, permaculture is an eco-logical approach to design. It can be described as a way of thinking, making decisions and designing things based on observing nature. Permaculture has a set of ethics and design principles, which can be applied to physical things - like farms and landscapes - as well as to invisible things - like business models and our personal lives.
The word has its roots in "permanent" and "agriculture". Indeed, a large part of permaculture design courses focuses on land-based techniques and examples. No wonder so many people think permaculture can only be used on the land. I have the impression that for most folks, the word "permaculture" evokes the ideas of homesteading, organic farming, forest gardens, chicken tractors, sheet mulching and swales. Yes, it can involve all of these things AND it offers so much more too!
What is "permaculture" anyways? At its simplest, permaculture is an eco-logical approach to design. It can be described as a way of thinking, making decisions and designing things based on observing nature. Permaculture has a set of ethics and design principles, which can be applied to physical things - like farms and landscapes - as well as to invisible things - like business models and our personal lives.
