And Now for Something Totally Different

Goofing around with a newish piece, haven't really bothered to learn all the words yet. I think I got some of 'em right, though.

Social Elements in A Food Forest

Permaculturists across the world are investing in highly valuable, long-term, naturally modelled systems called "food forests" that are self-maintaining and produce food, fiber, and building materials--a real, durable form of wealth that can enrich their communities for generations to come. 

Well, that is, if those systems last!

In the modern world people often fail to see the value in things like free, high-quality food and materials. I'm convinced that if money DID grow on trees, people still wouldn't take the time to pick it. 

Whenever we plant trees and perennial crops, we do so knowing that most of their value lies well into the future, and that investment may not ever see its full potential. If it's a public or community project, our work must demonstrate enough value year after year to clearly justify the maintenance costs and reward volunteers with the equivalent of a "living wage" for their efforts. If not, our work is likely to be replaced by something that's seen as less of a "drain." If our investment is in the private sphere, such as a home forest garden, then it will have to offer a similarly high value/low maintenance costs to future home owners. 

For this reason, in my studies of Permaculture site plans, I'm always most inspired by projects that integrate these "productive assets" (like fruit and fiber trees, and forest gardens) into social and living space in a way that just works. This is a hallmark of the indigenous "forest gardens" found throughout the world, they are living spaces, work spaces, the places where life is lived out, where people WANT to be--and they just happen to produce 90% of the family's food. If you're not familiar with these indigenous forest gardens, here are a few short videos to provide an introduction. The first is a 300 year old food forest, with Geoff Lawton, and the second is Monty Don's tour of a Keralan "home garden." The section on Mr. Abraham's Spice Garden starts at 34 minutes. 

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSCjnPxqbbv2X5THVPlHW1wxpSc3_CM0g

http://youtu.be/NKOvm_B5MOc

In Permaculture terms, these gardens "stack functions" providing both productive space and social space. 

So, what are some of the ways people use outdoor spaces at home? Which of these can these be naturally integrated into the long-term infrastructure of a forest garden? 

Outdoor eating/picnic/cookout area

Shady living space for hot weather

Warm/sunny space for cool weather

Outdoor gym, exercise space, functional fitness. http://youtu.be/vTJ9G5xGTz8

"Private" living space, where family members can go to be alone, study, meditate, take dates

Outdoor sleeping/relaxing space

Outdoor games, horseshoes, baggo, croquet, frisbee golf, hide and seek, tag...

Playground toys. 

Outdoor office

Outdoor workspace

"Strolling gardens"or "enterance gardens" were a popular place to walk with neighborsduring the victorian era. 

Dog runs

Sunny space for some annual gardening.

Family picture backdrop

Tree house

Fire pit

Natural swimming pool/water garden

Outdoor "stage" for music, presentations, plays

Spiritual spaces, sacred circle, meditation garden

The more life activities that can be integrated into our plans, the less likely it is that someone will remove a prized rare fruit tree to put in a fire pit. And the more a forest garden calls out to people to spend time in it, the more it will be valued and utilized. 

And the same "stacking of functions" holds true for public space, too. In fact it's probably even more important. Some examples:

Weddings

Art exhibits

Outdoor theater

Dance recitals

Small, intimate concerts

A bike/walking trail

Frisbee golf

Picnics

Cook-outs

Camp grounds

RV park

Dog Park

Senior pictures and other portraits

Vermicomposting near the fishing spot

Athletic fields--yes, even these fields of grass could benefit from Permaculture design! Imagine low-maintance trees next to the bleechers, providing a shady place to sit and fruit planned to ripen throughout the sport's season. Meanwhile, edible hedgerows provide a windbreak around  a soccer field... 

And this list is just a start. What other social functions can be integrated into our sites? 

Fall Morning

Had a great time at the South Michigan Permaculture Mixer yesterday. It is heartening to meet so many great people building a bridge to greater personal freedom, health, and cooperation with nature. Of course, that sounds a little cheesy and day-dreamy, when what really inspired me about the day was the very down-to-earth practicality of the whole thing. These people were just rolling up their sleeves and quite literally building a better future--real, tangilble wealth and resources like renewable energy sources, fruit and nut orchards, practical housing, human-scale DIY technology, and so on. Unlike the evanescent fantasy "wealth" of stock markets, credit cards and "innovative financial instruments," where value can vanish in the blink of an eye, these Permaculturists are investing in assets that will keep people warm, sheltered, happy, well-fed and spiritually nourished for generations to come.

Permaculture Principle: Obtain a Yield

One of the most rewarding things about gardening is learning to see the connections between things in the garden system. It's amazing how everything in nature shares and cycles energy streams, "catching and storing energy" and cooperates to enrich the ecosystem for the whole.

Autumn Olive Pasta Sauce--Delicious!

What makes that investment of each individual's time and effort possible is that they are rewarded for this activity. Everything that lives has to "obtain a yield." For those of us who are natural "do-gooders," inclined to give freely of ourselves, this may be the most important Permaculture principle.

When we "only give" we do work that is ultimately unsustainable. But it's also potentially dangerous. There's a wisdom inherent in the collaborative "enlightened self interest" of natural communities, which keeps everyone working a niche and obtaining a yield from it. When we create systems or communities that bypass this, where we give without obtaining a yield, there's a danger that we will disrupt a natural connection where someone else could "help themselves" and obtain a yield in doing the work we did for free. Often times, such as in our well-meaning interventions in low-income or natural communities, we end up hurting the people we intend to help, preventing community members from starting businesses and enriching the ecology of their community.

I believe our garden will be a "good work" that will build the ecology of or community. And it's a joy to do. But I have to admit, it makes it easier to commit the time when our garden "pays" us in some very tasty things to eat!

Mushrooms Note

Hello to all who attended the mushroom cultivation workshop at the KNC this weekened. Please feel free to search the blog for food forest design notes and information on some of our "guilds" here at Lillie House.

As I have been "under the weather" over the last few days, I haven't gotten around to posting additional mushroom info and resources yet. I will make sure to get them up as soon as I'm feeling up to snuff.

Thanks again for the fun time,

Mike