up:: [[Blogs and Essays]] date:: 2023-12-05 people:: [[About Me|Francis Wang]] tags:: #output/blog #on/sustainability #on/permaculture #on/homesteading # I Learned About Permaculture And Here’s Why You Should Too cover:: ![[findcongwang_community_garden_where_people_are_working_the_fiel_e2499adf-7f9d-4568-a0f2-eed6b03ce844.png]] Earlier this year, I enrolled and graduated from Oregon State University’s [Permaculture Design Certification Program](https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/course/permaculture-design-certificate-online). My intent was to learn regenerative land design practices and make a site plan for a farm I was prospecting for homestead. I figured that planning to grow my own food forest was the grand gesture I needed to commit to a predominantly plant-based diet for health reasons. I learned so much from Javan (check him out at [All Points Design](https://allpointsdesign.ca/about/)), he has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of everything permaculture — plants, soil, water harvesting, intangibles, etc. Most valuably, Javan has a wealth of knowledge from many ecological design projects all over the world, their successes and failings, and how those learnings can be incorporated into the next steps for our particular situation. **What is Permaculture?** Permaculture is a design system and philosophy that seeks to create sustainable and self-sufficient agricultural landscapes that mimic natural ecosystems. At its core, permaculture aims to work harmoniously with nature, creating ecological systems that are resilient and regenerative. The principles of permaculture extend beyond just agriculture and can be applied to social and economic systems as well, with an emphasis on community resilience and sustainable practices. There are many reasons you should learn about permaculture, especially if you are concerned about our ongoing climate crisis. **Fundamentally, it’s about resilience.** The permaculture approach seeks to create systems that are diverse, productive, and adaptable. By working with natural processes and cycles, permaculture aims to reduce the impact of human activity on the environment while meeting our basic needs. **You can do permaculture in an urban setting, starting with your balcony.** Despite the small scale, it’s entirely possible to create a thriving ecosystem on your balcony. With thoughtful planning and design, you can cultivate a variety of plants in pots or vertically, from leafy greens and herbs to tomatoes and strawberries, even some dwarf fruit trees. Companion planting can be particularly effective, where certain plants are grown together for their mutual benefit, such as pest control or increased yield. **You’ll be surprised how much rainwater goes through your roof**. Effective water management practices minimize water waste, a significant benefit in regions with water scarcity. Stored rainwater can be used for irrigation, reducing the dependence on municipal water sources or groundwater. **You can prevent soil erosion and reduce the risk of flooding**. By slowing down the water’s progress through the landscape (a principle known as ‘slow, spread, and sink’). This method allows more water to infiltrate into the soil, which in turn recharges the groundwater table and provides sustained hydration to plants. **You create habitats for wildlife and bring back biodiversity.** Using ponds or swales, you create a transact (the “edge”) with microclimates providing habitats for various wildlife. They can also serve practical uses, for example, ducks in a pond can help control pests, and the pond itself can serve as a reservoir for irrigation. Also, imagine the view! **Recycling might not do much for the planet anymore, but growing your own food will.** Depending on your jurisdiction, in some places, the process of recycling becomes merely a feel-good activity that ends up in landfills. While massive amounts of CO2 are emitted from industrialized mono-crop farms; by creating a food forest to feed yourself and your community, you help reduce the food security burden. **Every time a civilization became completely dependent on annual crops, famine ensued, and collapse followed** (From Mark Shepard’s [Restoration Agriculture](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16441733-restoration-agriculture))**.** The shift from land-based communities to industrialization has resulted in thousands of years of topsoil erosion loss occurring in just a few decades. **You will eat healthier, just from having more ready access to delicious, fresh food.** Imagine near infinite supply of berries, tomatoes, grapes, pears, etc. to snack on. Fiber intake will no longer be a struggle, and it’s hard to get 30–50g of fiber in an urban setting. I hope this inspires you to look more into permaculture. If you did, and have design projects, connect with me on social media and show me (@findcongwang, pretty much everywhere). That’s all for today — keep doing great things!