About Permaculture

“Permaculture is a creative and artful way of living, where people and nature are both preserved and enhanced by thoughtful planning, the careful use of resources & technology, mimicking the patterns found in nature (bio-mimicry) and a respectful approach to life.

Thus embraced, these attributes create an environment where all may thrive for untold generations.”

Bill Wilson – Midwest Permaculture

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Becky’s Peach Tree

Permaculturists Learn to:

grow food just about anywhere,
repair environmentally damaged lands,
design lovely and long lasting green-buildings,
produce the power they need,
run successful, people-oriented businesses, doing work they love and
live meaningful and authentic lives while building genuine community;

All by using the same fundamental permaculture principles, and applying a Permaculture Ethic:

Care of People – Care of the Earth
– Sharing of the Surplus -

Permaculture’s Prim Directive:
“The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children. Make it now.”

Bill Mollison – Permaculture’s Founder

It’s all About Honoring Relationship
Simply put, permaculture is really about relationship – our relationship as humans to the world around us. Will/do we work with the natural abundance and flows of the world around us, or will/do we ignore these?

Bill Mollison

Working with the sun, wind, rain, soil, and plants will allow us to co-create sustainable or permanent-cultures, hence the word ‘permaculture’. Fighting these forces requires a tremendous amount of time, money and energy from the burning of non-renewable resources (coal, oil, gas), the very resources that all future generations are entitled to.

More specifically, permaculture explores practical ways to improve the quality of our lives by re-thinking or re-designing our relationship to:

The land around us — and how we care for it while providing our food, fiber, medicines and other needs.
Our homes — how we design and build them for optimum joy and use.
The energy we use — why we use it, how we use it, and how we generate it.
Our work – does it reflect who we truly are? Is our work of true service to anyone or anything? Have we found ‘right livelihood’ and/or meaningful work.
Each other — have we created meaningful lives with our families and communities.
Ourselves – are we living from an authentic experience of self.

“Within a Permaculture designed system, wastes become resources, productivity and yields increase, work is minimized, and the environment is restored.”

Bill Mollison – Permaculture’s Founder

The Bigger Picture
Many permaculturists are concerned about their relationship with others (all others) and the planet. It is our belief that it is possible to design, or re-design our lives, to provide an abundance of food, fiber, energy & shelter for every person on this planet while dramatically improving everyone’s overall quality of life.

Mountain removal in the United States in our search for cheap coal.

In addition, we know it is possible to do this without consuming the natural resources that all future generations are entitled to have access to. And we can do it without the pollution associated with our current way of living.

Sound idealistic? Seem improbable – even naive? Maybe so. But it is, none-the-less, a possibility, a choice, that we as humans can move towards. Our part as individuals is to start from where we are at, from where we live, and from how we live. We don’t believe it is the intention or desire of most who are adopting a permaculture approach to life to tear anything down. Non-sustainable systems will naturally fall by the wayside as they become irrelevant.

Permaculturists are simply choosing to put their energy into discovering ways of living that are more sustainable and authentically in tune with the abundant and natural resources that surround them;
– the wind, the rain, the sun, the soil… and human love & ingenuity.

Why Bother?

We think this is a great question, and the answer probably comes down to one simple response:

What else is there to do?

We either focus our time and energy on creating something that creates authentic beauty, security and joy in our personal lives and communities, or we don’t. One brings peace and sustainability into the world, the other does not. Besides, what could be more meaningful than spending ones time working towards the creation of a world that works for everybody? The implementation of a permaculture approach to living brings this closer into being.

Many have also discovered that diving deeply into the study of permaculture can be a life changing experience. What often comes with the knowledge of how to feed, shelter and provide for yourself, your family and others, is a deeper sense of security, and the ability to live more authentically and consciously each day.

More on Permaculture - Some Great Resources on the Subject

1. For a clear, simple explanation of permaculture with some specific examples of how it has been applied, please view the description of our 3-hour Introductory Seminar

2. Look Below: Each of these more detailed ‘Picture Summaries’ hold insights & ideas into permaculture with lots of helpful photos from our tours and courses.

3. This link will take you to our Interesting Permaculture Resources page.

4. Sign-up for our free-monthly-educational emails (or view a sample)

5. And at the bottom of this page are some links to our favorite permaculture sites which might save you some time if you are to go hunting for more information. We also thought you would enjoy reading what Bill Mollison has to say about the very subject he pioneered.

What is Permaculture?
by Bill Mollison (Originator of Permaculture)
Permaculture is an holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological principles and patterns. Permaculture aims to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with people. The ecological processes of plants, animals, water, weather and nutrient cycles are integrated with human needs and technologies for food, energy, shelter and infrastructure.

Elements in a system are viewed in relationship with other elements, and the outputs of one element become the inputs of another.

Within a Permaculture system:
* work is minimized
* wastes become resources
* productivity and yields increase
* and the environment is restored.

Permaculture principles can be applied to any environment, at any scale – from dense urban settlements to individual homes, from farms to entire regions.

Who would benefit from a Permaculture Design Course?
Since the first Permaculture Design Course was offered in 1972, people from widely diverse backgrounds and interests have graduated. Farmers, ranchers, landowners, foresters, landscape designers, architects, builders, planners, developers, accountants, financiers, bankers, publishers, attorneys, aid workers, educators, environmentalists and students have all brought Permaculture techniques into their homes, businesses and communities.

This course is for anyone interested in gaining practical skills and perspective for sustainable living and productivity. You will gain an understanding of Permaculture theory, building your knowledge of all the necessary aspects to become fully conversant with Permaculture design. By the end of the course, you will be able to confidently create your first Permaculture design plan.

Below you will find various picture summaries that will give you insights about how permaculture thinking and design has been implemented in various situations as well as an inside look at some of our trainings and other educational events.

Permaculture Photo Summaries

Quick Reference to the Permaculture Pictures on our website

8-Day PDC Training in Detroit Charter School Trains Teachers and Staff Charter school in Detroit planning to use permaculture as a foundations piece in their educational curriculum and teaching approach.
4-Day Suburban/Urban Training Intensive June 2009 & April 2010 These picture summaries take the viewer through our first two 4-Day Suburban/Urban Trainings. The 4-Day has been designed to give the suburban and urban dweller the essential permaculture tools they need to get started in their own back yards, small plots, apartments and communities.
July 09 - Michigan Speaking Tour 'Bill & Friends Most Excellent Adventure' Join me as I make my way around S.E. Michigan for a 4-day speaking tour. Included are pictures from several WalkAbouts we did as well as some great photos and ideas for implementing permaculture in one's own backyard or community... Bill Wilson
Suburban Permaculture Our Permaculture Home Transformation Bill & Becky Wilson- Stelle, Illinois View photos of our progress over the next couple of years as we transform our traditional and somewhat plain suburban house into a permaculture home.
Suburban Permaculture Tour The Nowicki's Home Aug. 2007 Design Course View permaculture pictures of an established home in Downers Grove, Illinois, a small farm that made $25,000 by harvesting the wild plants around them and a greenhouse operation that also raises hundreds of pounds of tilapia fish.
Urban Permaculture Chicago Honey Co-op July 07 Visit Learn why Chicago makes some of the most unique honey in the world, and how this small co-op is changing peoples lives with a permanent-culture approach to community gardening.
Urban Permaculture Chicago center for Green Technology July 07 Visit A quick picture tour including green roofs, unique rain-water catchments, photovoltaic, and more.
Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton A Design Course Diary Dispatches from Australia, Jan. 08 By Julie Pagliaro One of our webinar students decided to take her full design course from Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton. View her email and photos as she works her way through a two week design course delivered by the very man who originated the concept of 'permaculture'.