and Biodynamics. Do they have anything in common? What we can learn from the By Dr. Immo Fiebrig & Marion Buley

Originally developed by the Australian Bill IN THE BEGINNING: PLANNING Mollison as early as the 1970s, permaculture AND DESIGN MODELLED ON NATURE has since spread all over the world, but In practical application, permaculture is concerned with has been confined mostly to private finding the best possible design. Before their cultivation, vegetable patches and allotments. Recently, as well as agricultural enterprises require careful permaculture has been receiving more analysis and planning. This involves the evaluation of the attention. In their documentary “Tomorrow/ location, the soil, the climate, slope inclinations, resources, Demain”, C. Dion and M. Laurent visit the restrictions and social factors by means of different assess- “Ferme du Bec Hellouin” market ment and planning tools and by tapping into renewable, in northern , which has gained a natural resources. Agricultural and concepts reputation as a model for economically involving permacultural elements are often distinguished by viable, sustainable permaculture. Since then, combining with permanent . Improving the has been inundated with the fertility of the soil through permanent ground cover, visitors. Companies such as lehmann natur minimum tillage and the use of , compost teas and GmbH (), real-SB Warenhaus GmbH microorganisms. Permaculture’s strength lies in the fact (Germany) and Lush Cosmetics (UK) have that it harnesses the potential of the most adverse locations. begun to sell products from permaculture The design process serves to identify and maximize a given production. Permaculture has become location’s potential before permaculture cultivation starts. an established subject of academic study The following agricultural production systems corre- and teaching, in Europe e.g. at Coventry spond to the principles of permaculture in that they emulate University (UK) or Lisbon University (P). and harness the ecological stability of : But what is permaculture? Can some of Forest garden/: the insights gained from it be applied to in combination with food production, e.g. fruit biodynamic ? + timber + grain cultivation in the same area Agro-silvio-pastoral systems: WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE Additional element: animal husbandry, example: Dehesa OF PERMACULTURE? cultivation in the Spanish , which combines Applied permaculture not only wishes to maintain the the cultivation of and holly , tillage and pig farming quality of agricultural soil, but wants to improve it, restore within the same area. natural habitats for animals and humans, and provide the socially disadvantaged with a new perspective. As such, it Mixed crops does not differ vastly from , but it is not Example: the so-called milpa as cultivated by the Maya in subject to any legal standard or relevant production direc- Mexico, where corn was planted in combination with climb- tives. Instead, it is a rather abstract principle that is based ing beans and pumpkin for ground coverage. This is still on ethics, maxims and guiding principles, which can be being practiced by smallholders in some parts of Mexico. interpreted and implemented in accordance with any given Perennial crops are used so as to restrict location (PermaculturePrinciples.com). Meanwhile, the tillage to an absolute minimum.’ permaculture principles are at work in landscaping, Some perennial grain types are more resilient during dry supply, building and construction and in social projects. periods. The US Land Institute has been conducting studies Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town movement, on this subject since the middle of 1970 (landinstitute.org). for example, has initiated communal projects in urban and Symbiotic animal husbandry, e.g. pigs and poultry. sub-urban environments that focus on the transition into Animal husbandry within the same space protects the post-fossil age. He also re-interpreted the principles of chickens from the fox and keeps pigs parasite-free. permaculture in an economic context. Gut Herrmannsdorf near Munich/Germany provides an Loosely based on Mollison’s original definition, economically viable example. (herrmansdorfer.de) permaculture is the systematic design and maintenance of edible landscapes with the stability and resilience of (prime- PERMACULTURE IN val) forests. It considers systems in their functional diversity PRACTICAL APPLICATION and allows them to evolve as they see fit in order to attain the In Germany, permaculture is widely practiced in private optimal state of “self-sustaining systems”. The ethical basics gardening, while in the UK, permaculture is very popular of permaculture can be summed up as follows: among smaller self-sufficient farming cooperatives, but also earth care the Urban Gardening movement evolved from the princi- people care ples of permaculture. In the US and Latin America, several agricultural enterprises have been practising permaculture fair share on a professional level. Jerome Osentowski from Colorado

22 Star & Furrow Issue 127 June 2017 n Permaculture in bird’s eye view Jelanisol and Montebello in Spai © Juan José designs glasshouses that operate without fossil fuels. The Permaculture Research Institute in has registered more than 2,200 permaculture projects all over the world (PermacultureGlobal.org/projects).

PERMACULTURE IN BIODYNAMIC FRUIT CULTIVATION IN SPAIN: Jelanisol and Montebello Over five years, Friedrich Lehmann, owner of lehman natur with headquarters in Germany, has gradually integrated permaculture elements into the cultivation strategy for his Demeter-certified 50-ha Finca in Andalusia. One of the main objectives was the improvement of fertility by intro- Oranges and CHALLENGES leguminosae ducing a special composting method and the use of micro- Based on our experience, permaculture is faced with the together organisms. New fields were planted along the ground’s con- following challenges: © Marion Buley tour lines so as to limit erosion damage and as a natural wind n Permaculture requires a high level of expertise, observa- barrier. Nurse crops and permanent ground cover were to tion skills and patience enhance these beneficial effects. Moving trickle irrigation n Evaluation and planning are very complex, participatory, underground has already reduced water consumption by multi-stage processes that require great care as they provide 25%. Increasing was another objective. In order the groundwork for long-term investment. The input and to achieve this, an eight metre high hedge was planted so as consultancy of experienced permaculture experts is strongly to provide wild animals and insects with a natural habitat. In recommended. some areas, fruit trees are cultivated in a fashion, n Mixed cultivation means that mechanisation and orange trees and avocado trees intermittently, but more protection are more difficult. recently, Lehmann started mixing kumquat with pomegran- n There is a lack of standard machinery for permaculture ate trees. such as direct planters, no-till or low-till care systems. In 2014, Lehmann acquired a second Finca with 100 n Planting sustainable elements such as hedges may be dif- hectares. Gradually, the former cultivation of organic orang- ficult or even impossible on leaseholds. es practiced there will be enhanced according to the aspects n Compiling economic or practical budget figures is dif- of permaculture. Prior to the planning stage, the location ficult due to a lack of documented experience and data. was evaluated for its potential. In a planning workshop, the ten participants discussed the suitability of different crops CONCLUSION: PERMACULTURE AS and cultivation plans from different perspectives. The main A TOOL FOR EVALUATION AND PLANNING requirement was to change the former into Careful observation and evaluation of the location are the mixed cultivation while preserving the existing orange trees. cornerstones for successful production planning with Based on the principles of organic farming, Friedrich permaculture. The objective is to identify and maximise the Lehmann and his team compiled the “lehman natur Per- potential of the relevant location. This involves harnessing makulture Produktionsgrundlagen” (permaculture produc- synergies and services rendered by nature i.e. optimising tion guidelines), which document and explain their take on operations according to natural principles. Economic and permaculture for the company, the producers, retail and practical aspects also play an important role. Permaculture consumers (lehmann-natur.com/permakultur). can be seen as a structured evaluation and planning tool Basic elements of this document are: which is suitable for every cropping farm, independent on n Soil conservation and build-up by means of gentle tillage, the cultivation type. It will help harness resources in a more cultivation along ground contour lines (whenever viable), efficient manner and increase both the efficiency and resil- use of compost and ground cover etc. ience of the cultivation. n Improvement of biodiversity by planting hedges, wild herbs, mixed cultivation etc. Translation: Andrea O’Brien n Water-saving and water-collection measures First published: Lebendige Erde, Nov/Dec 2016, by Demeter e. V. Thanks to cooperation with the Centre for Agroecol- ogy, Water and Resilience at Conventry University, Friedrich Dr. Immo Fiebrig is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Lehmann’s fincas have become a subject of academic re- , Water and Resiliency (CAWR), University of search. The British research centre documents and evaluates Coventry ([email protected]) the effects of permaculture on the three pillars of sustain- Marion Buley is and agricultural engineer, economist and ability: (1) Environment, (2) Economy and (3) Society. permaculture consultant ([email protected])

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