Week 4 - Food

Permaculture is most well known for it's food systems and forest gardens. This video and the links below it provide an introduction to producing food in Permaculture systems and what that looks like in different climate zones. Watch the video and browse the links to learn more!

Food

This video looks at some of the major themes for food production in Permaculture systems. We address some controversial topics like genetically engineered organisms, and do a quick breeze through the major themes and strategies of food production in the major climate zones we are looking at in this class.

Intro to Permaculture: Permaculture Design for Food Video Transcript Download Intro to Permaculture: Permaculture Design for Food Video Transcript

References:

Dryland Pasture Management Links to an external site.

Unesco - Environmental Impacts of Converting Moist Tropical Forest to Agriculture and Plantations Links to an external site.

Featured Links:

Permaculture Design International's Maui Tomorrow Land Visioning Plan Links to an external site.

There is much more to Permaculture food production then can be covered in the seven and one half minutes of the above video presentation, so we encourage you to look through these links as an introduction into a vast subject. Aside from the major climate zones listed below, there are resources and strategies for high elevation areas, the Subtropics, cold deserts, sand dune areas, and the list goes on. The techniques of food production are many, and the plant choices and methods are very specific to the conditions of each area. A Permaculturist in a region inevitably becomes an experimenter and propagator of good edible plant varieties. The field is wide open, and by no means has it all been figured out, so go out there and make plenty of mistakes, and share your successes.

Know Thy Plant!

Many species of plants are what we describe as "rampant", which is something that flourishes or spreads unchecked. Introduction of some plant species into your site can create huge maintenance problems for you, and also spread that plant into the surrounding environment through seed dispersal and vegetative growth. So it's really important to do your research before introducing any new species. Here's a link to the United States Department of Agriculture's Noxious Plant List Links to an external site.. The agriculture department of your country should be able to provide a similar list.

Introduction of rampant and invasive species is a controversial subject in the Permaculture field, and has been a source of conflict between agricultural agencies, native plant enthusiasts, and Permaculture's horticultural experimenters. To read more on Permaculture views on "invasion biology", Tao Orion's book "Beyond the War on invasive Species: A Permaculture Approach to Ecosystem Restoration Links to an external site." is a well-researched text. This is not a simple subject, and is one that warrants much consideration when planning your food and forest systems.

"Know Thy Plant" is a good mantra when making any species selection, and we encourage you to exercise great caution, because the introduction of a new rampant species of plant or animal can cause long term changes to an ecosystem and have many unintended consequences. To learn more about the hazards of introducing rampant or invasive species, please read this document Download this document

Additional Resources:

Tropics

Tips on Growing Vegetables in the Tropics Links to an external site.

Banana Circle Construction and Placement Links to an external site.

Urban Frontyard Food Forest Links to an external site.

Suburban Garden Plan Links to an external site.

Cover Crops Solution Chart Links to an external site.

Seeing the Garden in the Jungle by Toby Hemenway Links to an external site.

Ahupua'a Explained Links to an external site.

Useful Tropical Plant List Links to an external site.

Subtropical Plant List for all Layers of a Food Garden Links to an external site.

Temperate