“The first priority is to The Role of Life in Yield: It is interesting to note that Ross Mars, survive (obtain a yield Living things, including people, are the The yield of a system is teacher and author, from captured energy, only effective intervening systems to theoretically unlimited states : “While yields in a permaculture while the second is to pay capture resources on this planet, and The only limit on the number system can be high, much higher than for what we get in some to produce a yield. Thus, it is the sum Yield is not a fixed sum natural bush or forest areas, there is a way that helps maintain and capacity of life forms which decide of uses of a resource in any design system. It is limit, no matter how well we design and the future flow of energy”. total system yield and surplus. possible within a system is the measure of the how ingenious we are. and Holmgren 2002:75 in the limit of the information comprehension, animals have limits to their growth and and the imagination of the understanding, and ability production.” Mars (2003) The Basics of of the designers and Permaculture Design, p.3. designer. managers of that design. H 3. Obtain a Yield “You can’t work on an empty stomach”. Role of

Growing of “useful” rather than life “useless” ornamentals was a part of the early popularisation of permaculture. The Limits to yield BANANAS:

historical spread of ornamental gardens in Bananas thrive in Townsville’s climate as long as the industrial era was a “nouveau riche” Definition ie4 HOLMGREN additional water is provided. They are a great addition to cultural statement about wealth that of Yield any tropical as they bear fruit in the first year. In a implied food was only for home garden situation when you harvest a bunch of peasants. bananas you are usually left with too many ripe bananas 14. Principle on to eat before they rot. One way to expand the yield to only harvest a single hand off the bunch at a time. The

Yield ones harvested will ripen much faster than those left on Solar food dryer Definition of System the bunch. Another way is through preserving, drying, or From: Mars, R. (2003) The Basics of Permaculture Design Yield: freezing. Sun dried bananas will last a fair while and are System yield is the sum good chewy snacks. Another way is to make banana ice- flywire cover total of surplus energy cream. Peel the bananas before freezing then put them produced by, stored, black painted surface drying trays through a good quality juicer (e.g. Champion) and they conserved, reused, or come out like soft-serve ice cream. This can also be used converted by the design. as a base (mixed with other frozen fruit and put in an ice clear glass or Energy is in surplus once cream maker) for a non-dairy no added sugar ice cream plastic the system itself has that is 100% fruit. available all its needs for flywire cover growth, reproduction, and maintenance. Dispersal over time

Dispersal of Food Yield over Time:

• By selection of early, mid and late season varieties. • By planting the same variety in early or late ripening situations. • By selection of long-yielding varieties. • By a general increase in diversity in the system, so that , fruit, seed and are all product yields. PRINCIPLES • By using self-storing species such as tubers, hard seeds, nuts, fuel wood, or which can be '"cropped on demand'". • By techniques such as preserving, drying, pitting, freezing, and cool storage. Mindmap 14 • By regional trade between communities, or by the utilization of land at different altitudes or latitudes. www.permaculturefundamentals.org