Permaculture is an ecological design system, aimed at everything concerning our daily lives. It uses natural systems as guidelines, wherever possible. It deals with growing food, building of houses and the creation of communities, with the aim of minimal environmental impact. The principles are applied and refined by people all over the world in all kinds of different climatic and cultural conditions.

Permaculture tries to develop regional and internationally applicable low cost and effective methods, to substantially reduce our ecological footprint. Developed by Bill Morrison in Australia, Permaculture can be found today the world over. It is not some kind of religious cult, or environmental magic. Rather more like someone has put words to what appears to be quite logical and obvious. Guidelines, which help a process of thinking things through, rather than just implementing the first idea that comes to mind.

A practical example would be eggs. Certainly a good idea to produce your own eggs. But before you embark on buying a couple of hens, there is a whole thinking and designing process to go through. And once you have dissected the pros and cons of chickens, there is still the question of where best to locate them.

One permaculture principal might help with all your future decisions:

Never do anything without having at least three good reasons.

So the chicken pen could be located to give some wind shelter, warm your green house in winter, is easily accessible, feather dust prevents red mites in your green house, and so on. The hens will naturally do a lot of work for you, by just being let at certain times into areas such as pastures, orchards, woodlots. Or by applying the idea of a 'chickentractor', do jobs like cutting your grass, fertilising and clearing your vegetable patch.

Rod Everett is a permaculture designer, who lives in Middlewood near Lancaster. He lives and works according to permaculture guidelines, which he practices on his farm. He also runs courses on permaculture, either on his farm or wherever there is a group of people interested.

And as Neil said during a two day introduction course:

'I might sometimes not find three good reasons to get out of bed'. You can see how Permaculture could be used to excuse you from a lot of trouble, otherwise not easily justified.

Dieter