We recently visited a long-term project of ours, Bending Oak Permaculture farm in Youngstown, Ohio. We have been designing and implementing for this demonstrative site for over seven years, and to see it transform from a plot of barren land into an abundant, regenerative ecosystem has been incredibly rewarding.

To help share what we are creating and learning with others, we set up an 18-Stop Self-guided Tour with posters like this at each point.

We created these Design-Element Permaculture (DEP) Posters to explain the inner workings of the farm. Read more to learn about Bending Oak and why we created these posters.

The founders of Bending Oak drew inspiration from the idea that we can use permaculture to explore an endless variety of pathways towards achieving  a more sustainable future. They sought a way to demonstrate as many examples of what is possible in sustainable design as they could, and wanted to share their findings and inspire people by showing them that it really is achievable to build for the betterment of future generations and the planet.

As the project grew and evolved over the years, we knew that we needed a clear way to convey the intention and thought process behind each element’s design that we arrived at. We had to find a way to explain in an accessible way how each one worked, and how it fit into the larger picture of the farm, permaculture, and the environment.

We figured the best way to achieve this would be with a self guided tour system. We have created a Design-Element Permaculture Poster to place at each notable element of the farm that explains its inner workings, and answers why we chose to design the way we did. There are 18 stops on the tour that are listed on the map you receive when you purchase admission to the farm.

Here are some of the posters you will see when visiting Bending Oak for either the self-guided or staff-guided tours.

In addition to these, there are 9 other posters to see at the farm.

These posters do a great job of explaining this overall permaculture farm project. The intention is for those who visit to walk away with a greater understanding of permaculture design and how it can be implemented in their own lives.