Throughout time, farming has been pretty straightforward. You plant seeds, watch them grow, and tend to them accordingly. By “tending” here I mean watering them, keeping pests out, or tilling the soil, you name it. There are many different ways in which people farm, many techniques and technologies farmers incorporate in the growth of their crops, such as:

a) The use of fertilizers and pest controls (a method of organic farming)

b) Irrigation support, the use of sprinklers or pipes directly next to plants rather than just relying on rainfall

C) Weeding/the removal of dead plant matter

Permaculture on the other hand takes a whole new approach to these once viewed ideal methods of farming…in a good way. Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) is a research institute created by one of the co-founders of permaculture, Bill Mollison, upon his retirement. PRI defines permaculture as farming as integrating land, maintenance, the environment, and tools in a closed system. In simple terms, using what’s in the garden and provided by nature to help maintain the garden (23). The term “permaculture” comes from the words ‘permanent agriculture, created by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison after the development of a permacultural design system in the 1970s after their development of a permaculture system (13). As a form of agroecology (works with nature), permaculture farming is surprisingly easy to do and easy to implement in both suburban and rural settings, and to any degree, whether it be small or large scale. Given its flexibility, it is hard to find downsides to permaculture. Not only does a permaculture garden require much less tending than traditional gardens, but it’s cost-efficient. The produce you are growing is no longer necessary to buy as often, and it’s great for the environment. These are just two of the many reasons permaculture gardening is beneficial to yourself and the space around you.

Why Even Bother?

That being said, it’s completely understandable why you wouldn’t desire to have a permaculture garden, and there are multiple valid reasons why you think it couldn’t have any benefit to your life. You may not have any idea what you’re doing, which leaves you to believe that starting a garden would be pointless or unnecessary. You may live in a bad location for gardening, like an inner city where green space for food to grow isn’t accessible, or the growth of food isn’t necessarily of interest to you because there are places close by where you could buy some yourself. You may even have a lot of land and be a farmer, but are doubtful that switching to a permaculture garden will keep up with the demand of the market. I understand why you may be having these doubtful thoughts, but it’s because of these doubts and questions that creating this blog to relay information about permaculture gardens is so important. With a little bit of understanding, you’ll see just how easy owning one is. It doesn’t matter where you live, how much time you have, or how much space you have to grow. As long as you have the motivation to grow plants, whether that be for personal consumption or for the benefits that natural farming contributes to the earth, it is possible.

To counter the potential arguments that could be made that were listed in the previous paragraph, I’ll talk about all the special aspects of permaculture, and all it has to offer. What makes the self-sustaining aspect of permaculture so beneficial is that it doesn’t harm the environment whatsoever. Every aspect of the garden is beneficial to the other, and to the environment. This means that you don’t have to spend money for maintenance either, which eliminates any costs you would have to cover when doing traditional gardening, like buying manure or other soil-enriching things to aid in garden upkeep. 

Urban Farming

It doesn’t take a genius to understand how people living in an urban setting do not have much space for gardens. The buildings you live in are shared with others, there are stores at every corner, and the only place where there is greenery is the local park. Despite this, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Even the smallest amount of space can be used with permaculture. Depending on how much space you have, you can plan accordingly. Say space is tight. You have a little bit of room but can’t seem to figure out how it would be possible to grow anything.

The use of upright greenhouses (shown left) and vertical gardening can solve that issue. Greenhouses allow for out-of-season plants to still grow, giving you more options as to what kinds of plants you grow, and vertical gardening (shown right) is the practice of planting against a wall to save space. It is also known to keep buildings cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter, saving you money by being an A/C alternative (26). If you have a bit more space to work with you can separate the garden into sections, like herbs in one, tomatoes in another, or by their priority of maintenance should you take it more seriously. Either way, space is not an issue with permaculture. Plants can grow in the strangest of places, and this knowledge can be used to your advantage. The concept of zone gardening is similar for those that have more space, since it will be easy to monitor what is growing where and how much, in addition to placing certain plants based on how much they need to be tended to. But can large-scale natural farming work? Yes, it can, and it also eliminates the main problems of traditional farming in the process.

Suburban Farming

Some of the most common issues wide-scale farmers face are pests, weeds, and poor soil. Synthetic pesticides used to kill harmful insects also kill the organisms that are beneficial to plants, in turn decreasing the capability for the plant to have maximum prosperity. The use of herbicides also is known to kill the bee population, whose importance I will get into later on. Because of the desire for profit, synthetic fertilizers are also spread onto the earth to nurture plants. There are many different types of permaculture farms, so if you are facing any issues like water access you can tailor your gardening process to your needs. Take borehole gardening, for example, the act of digging a deep hole into the ground to access the groundwater beneath plants. In permaculture, borehole-gardening uses sitting groundwater as a water source for gardening, both saving the health risk of too much water buildup, since stagnant bodies of groundwater can provide opportunity for harmful insects like mosquitoes to lay young or hydrate themselves.

Borehole-gardening, shown right, is an excellent way to sustainably irrigate plants. Regenerative farming is another method of sustainable farming, which utilizes “the process of photosynthesis in plants to isolate carbon in the soil while improving soil health, crop yields or the number of crops produced, and nutrient density” (20). Regenerative agriculture combines the concepts of organic farming, permaculture, agroecology, agroforestry, and renaturation ecology (10). Regenerative agriculture promotes biodiversity since numerous types of plant forms thrive in the same space, which is key in creating more micro and macro habitats compared to monoculture which is home to a variety of wildlife (15), as well as improve soil health because of how plant biodiversity uses different nutrients which maintains nutrient balance and can help fight pests and disease. The application of permaculture farming is both doable and healthier for all aspects of life, making it an ideal practice for suburban farmers.

Traditional Farming

Monoculture is the practice of cultivating a single type of plant, and is the way most mass production farmers grow crops to sell, in addition to the usage of tillage farming. Tillage farming is the act of churning, stirring, and turning the soil to prepare it for growing crops. Using till farming controls the decay of plants and controls the amount of water and air in the soil, which has some beneficial effects. But at the same time, tilling can damage and dry out the soil, making it harder for plants to grow because the soil becomes incapable of absorbing and retaining the water it is receiving, and subsequently creates runoff, also depleting nutrients. Using regenerative farming practices instead of till farming (called no-till farming) can reduce the amount of soil nutrient loss as well as increase crop residue cover (improves water infiltration and reduces evaporation) and decrease soil erosion all without affecting the overall yield of the crops when using tillage minimally (example shown below). In addition, no-till can save you a lot of money, anywhere from $15-$30 an acre you would otherwise have to spend annually, semi-annually, or even quarterly, which makes it much more appealing to farmers given that you can both save money and soil health at the same time (4).

Benefits aside, these methods of sustainable agriculture may be easy in theory but challenging for farmers to implement into their current farming regimen. While yields would remain the same (if not improve) with permaculture farming, an issue with the switch to more sustainable farming is the setback. Permaculture requires more time to develop and maintain, and you have to start small scale and work your way up. Traditional agriculture’s goal is to maximize the amount of growth and crops produced. Farmers have to maximize profit and keep up with demand. Given the fact that farmers want to keep up with the demand of the market and prioritize it over the health of the environment, the use of synthetic products is obvious for them, but the costs to the environment are more grave than wide-scale farmers using traditional practices to acknowledge.

Emissions and Synthetics

With the beginning of the industrial revolution, technological advances had been made, but so did the number of greenhouse gasses produced due to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil, etc). According to the United Nations, “energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main emitters.” The largest of today’s global warming contributors are Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrous Oxide, with CO₂ and N₂O being largely produced by conventional agriculture. Statistically, conventional agriculture is said to contribute anywhere from 19-29% of total greenhouse gas emissions (5). The emission of greenhouse gasses is causing changes in temperature and weather, which can have a great effect on organisms like worms and bees. Pesticides that are sprayed on plants have an effect on worms and bees as well. Bees can have a harder time recognizing their nests, affect feeding and learning behavior, and take longer to forage, slowing the process of pollination and maintenance of the hive. Conventional farming has also been known to destroy habitats in which bees live. Some farmers cut down trees, bushes, and other types of vegetation to make space for their farms, but doing so can also limit the space in which bees and other organisms can live. These two invertebrates are just a pair of the numerous invertebrates that contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem function, all of which could be affected by unsustainable farming practices.

Negative Effects of Fertilizers

Close to 40% of land in the United States is used for agriculture today (16). The chemicals used in conventional agriculture pass through the water system in just about every way you can think of, even as far as wetlands and as deep as groundwater. As decades have passed, the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers has grown a staggering amount, spiking upward after the 1960s. Countless amounts of pesticides have been applied to US farms they were first used. To put into perspective how much harm they have caused, a US Geological Survey Publication found that “at least one pesticide was found in about 94 percent of water samples and more than 90 percent of fish samples taken from streams across the Nation, and in nearly 60 percent of shallow wells sampled” (16). Waterways aside, the use of synthetic products is also harming the very insects needed to aid in the pollination and development of plants.

The World’s Pollinators

If we consider the impact of pesticides on bees and worms since these are important insects everyone knows about we see how impactful the current practices are. Almost 90% of plants grown today require pollinators to reproduce (10). As much as one of every three bites we consume is the responsibility of bees. There are 5 products that bees produce that have significant medicinal benefits to human beings: Honey, Beeswax, Royal Jelly, Propolis, and Venom. Honey is a good source of antioxidants, which prevents inflammation, known for causing heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Honey provides the body with multiple kinds of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, acid, phosphorus, and potassium, can heal wounds and aid in digestive issues. Beeswax has been used since medieval Europe and Ancient Greece for making candles and artists’ materials, but can also be used in the medical field as a drug carrier and a binding agent. Royal jelly, which is commonly used by queen bees to feed young, can be consumed as a dietary supplement and to treat physical ailments and chronic diseases (24). Propolis is said to fight infections and heal wounds, and bee venom can be used to treat ailments and reduce inflammation, similar to honey and royal jelly.

What’s most astonishing is that the health benefits aren’t what make bees so important to us. It’s their ability to pollinate plants that truly make them so special. When bees land on flowers, the hairs all over their bodies attract pollen through electrostatic force. Stiff hairs on their legs allow for them to brush the pollen into pockets and brushes on their legs and body and carry it to their nest, where it is fed to developing offspring. Individual bees tend to focus on one kind of flower, allowing for pollen from the same type of flower to be transferred to another flow of the same species. This is known as cross-pollination, and many flowers need this in order to produce fertile seeds. In addition, bees can travel to up to 2000 flowers a day (one bee!) highlighting the impact of losing just a handful of bees (27).

Soil’s Heroes

Earthworms also play a critical role in the health of plants, except underground. Earthworms improve nutrient availability by breaking down dead debris on the soil increasing nitrogen levels in the soil and repairing damaged soil, improve drainage by aerating the soil providing better drainage of water (10x better than soil without earthworms and 6x better in no-till soil with a high population) (9). Worms also improve soil structure by leaving castings that cement soil particles together, improve topsoil health, reduce runoff, neutralize the pH balance of your soil, mineralize nutrients in the soil by themselves or by stimulating microbial activity, and increase yields of plants by 25% (9). Soil health aside, worms are vital for the food web since they serve as food for important species like birds, frogs and other organisms. Without healthy soil, plants cannot prosper the way that they should and unfortunately, climate change is having a dire effect on the organisms that ensure that they get the nutrients they need, and remain healthy. In extreme cases, worms travel to higher/lower latitudes leaving others areas at increased risk for poor soil health (21). The disappearance of bees and worms would have a drastic effect on not just biodiversity and the development of plants, but today’s climate as we know it. Global warming isn’t a new issue nor is it an unknown one, and the continued use of conventional agriculture practices is making it worse. 

One Family’s Journey Into Permaculture: Case Study

To give you a better understanding of how simple gardening is, I took notes during an interview I did with my professor about his permaculture garden to get a glimpse of what it’s like owning one and let me just say, what he shared surprised me. He has spent decades working in the field of environmental sustainability and electrical engineering and lives a lifestyle that hardly contributes to pollution at all. To start, he doesn’t water his garden using a hose. He has a shed right behind the garden with a barrel under it so he can catch rainwater that falls and use that to water his plants. He has the gutters angled so that the water goes right into the barrel, and it’s covered with a mesh screen to prevent anything from getting into it. He also has plants in the garden surrounded by a plant called comfrey. Its main purpose there is for attracting bees which pollinate his plants in the garden he consumes (the color and shape of the flowers attract pollinators), but it’s also great for providing habitat for bugs that are beneficial for the garden and its leaves can be used as a fertilizer (2). What’s beneficial about the comfrey used is that the roots run deep, so when the plant is pulled up it brings up a lot of nutrients with it. Behind the shed is a compost pile where he places all the dead organic matter from his garden and his backyard.

Over winter, macro and microorganisms in the pile begin to break down the organic matter from the dead plants and it becomes nutrient-rich soil ready to be used during the springtime. He typically pays a student once per year to turn the pile on itself, putting the dirt from the bottom of the compost pile over the dead plants on the top to speed up the plant matter breakdown process. Weeds from his garden and backyard lawn also go onto the compost pile. There were many dandelions that were on the lawn that he was picking as we talked, showing how a permaculture garden can even serve purposes greater than just growing food, but also helps with the upkeep of his backyard. Bird feeders are also in the back and front yard, which is beneficial due to the fact that they leave behind bird manure that is healthy for the garden and lawn, he mentioned during the interview that there were plants in places he didn’t put seeds down in.

Though it may sound like a lot is going on, don’t be fooled. His garden shed included, would only take around 30-35 seconds to walk around; it wasn’t the biggest. But what he highlighted that shocked me is the fact that 20-30% of his produce comes from this garden–all from just 3 hours a month of tending. No inputs of any kind except annual application of compost or mushroom soil. But primarily he does planting, letting nature take its course, and basic minimal upkeep. Many of his garden beds have been untouched for months, and he noted that at points soil wasn’t always good, yet the plants still managed to grow, and thrive.

At the end of the interview, I asked him how much food from the garden he has in terms of storage, and how much more he would have with extra care. He estimates that he could get meaningful produce from the garden for months, around ¾ a year. When asked how much yields the family could produce with more maintenance, he stated “it is possible with more care of the gardens we could grow enough food to not need to buy vegetables from the store and only buy bread, dairy products like milk, and eggs. If we put more like 10-15 hours into our endeavor we might be able to make sufficient vegetables to feed his household and some neighbors.” This may seem like an exaggeration, but trust me when I tell you it isn’t. I was in awe at the amount of food that was sitting on the dirt rotting, the amount was truly a sight to see, with attendance being on a monthly basis.

Below are some more pictures of his garden and the yields it produced:

So Why Permaculture?

Look, I’m not trying to persuade you into being a permaculture farmer or to protect the environment, but not a lot of effort is required to grow food in a sustainable way. With very little tending, plants can grow in multiple types of environments, all that is required of the caretaker is to know what food they want to plant, and which can survive in the environment they’re being grown in. On a larger scale, things are no different. Permaculture allows for a vast number of different types of plants to be grown in the same area, does not require any external inputs like fertilizer to be grown, and it’s better for the environment in every way you can think of. With a little bit of effort, you can create a self-sufficient plant system that will save you money, does not require a lot of your time, it’s great for the environment, great for wild animals and organisms, and most importantly great for you.

References:

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