What is Permaculture?
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Permaculture is the method of reusing and recycling waste for use as a "new material"; it can be practiced at home or by industries, including agriculture, production, and by small businesses, like restaurants or artisans.
In Industry
When people use permaculture principles to design a business, several great benefits arise - new industries made to eliminate waste create new jobs, existing businesses can expand while reducing their industrial waste, and new products are created with sustainable practices as a selling point. Not to mention all of the transportation (aka fossil fuels), labor, and money saved by using "local products"... like the ones in your dumpster... or a local business's dumpster... Or the ocean. There are businesses that operate fully using the waste of other businesses, like recycled hair foils from salons or discarded coconut husks, while others focus on wastes like plastic, and others simply try to keep any waste from leaving their building.
In Agriculture
Permaculture principles can be used on farms and in gardens to increase
efficiency, yielding more nutritious produce with reduced crop loss due
to pests and drought.
Wildlife like birds, frogs, and insects are also
able to thrive on permaculture farms... which is rather unlike our mono-crop
farms. There are countless resources from around the world that can be
used to improve your farming. Some modern innovations include vertical
planting, hydroponics, and methane generators, while others date back many centuries and use the collective knowledge of many generations to run a more efficient farm.
Companion planting and the incan steeps are some examples of time-tested
farming methods that are still used today on permaculture farms,
(though, it is a bit more common to see swails dug into flat ground rather than in mountain sides, nowadays...)
Using animals to help your crops grow and vice versa is an important factor
of permaculture farming - and one of the best ways to save money. By
strategically planning your livestock, you can limit the amount of
fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides used on your plants. Animals like
Guinea and chickens can eat harmful bugs that may bite you, your animals,
or your plants, while plants like the herbs Thyme, Basil, & Mint are used
to repel them. Some plants can have health benefits for your livestock,
like antiparasitic properties, and others can attract the natural
predators of garden pests.
Efficient planting will consider all of the factors that nature might throw your way; water, wind, sunlight, shade, and pests will constantly affect your crops- so will gravity, which you may consider when choosing the placement of large woody plants like trees and bushes. Consider the land's topography; the needs and byproducts of different types of plants, animals, and fungi; present or potential pests; soil health; and the local climate to get the most out of your farm, improving the quality and quantity of harvests while addressing the problems causing crop loss. Permaculture planting can protect plants and topsoil, and keep them thriving with regenerative farming.
What damages your crops? What will help them thrive? What would you find in their natural habitat?
You can find strategies and layouts for permaculture gardens & larger homesteads or farms online in places like Pintrest, Youtube, or Permaculture forums.
If you have traditional farm equipment and land, it's totally possible to continue using it. Large permaculture farms sow alternating rows of crops to provide various benefits. Trees, like Willow and Fig, can be planted as a living food source for livestock, which cows and goats can eat directly off from. You can also find different uses for livestock like renting goats or pigs for clearing out overgrown areas, or just better utilizing their poops as instant fertilizer for your (local) crops...
Puddles don't stand a chance against deep-rooted wildflowers!
Timber is a great long term crop on a permaculture farm; trees provide cover, shade, & soil necessary for many species to thrive or even begin to grow, and why not grow a straight, profitable tree instead of a crazy-dangerous, sideways tree that cannot be used later? Intentional breeding of straight, strong trees creates a forest floor that is clear and navigable, inviting more possibilities for your land that is no longer being overrun by random greenery- which includes financial possibilities.
