The Permaculture Podcast

This show looks how taking a slow measured approach can allow us to do better work, freeing ourselves to act on solutions rather than reacting to problems. I turn again to my personal life for examples of how one can apply this principle. Questions? Contact me! Email: show@thepermaculturepodcast.com Phone: 717.798.8100

Coming around to the home stretch, here is Holmgren’s 8th Permaculture Principle: Integrate Rather than Segregate.  It is a reminder to design with elements intermingled not sitting separate from one another.  This is one of the principles that just made sense to me so I don’t have a lot to say on it.  If you [...]

As I am coming down the homestretch on Holmgren’s 12 Principles of Permaculture, the possible topics that become open for discussion are many. That has lead me to this episode in which I ask you, the listener, for what topics are of interest to hear discussed in a future episode. Let your imagination run wild [...]

Getting back to Holmgren’s Principles of Permaculture this time with Principle 7: Design from Patterns to Details. I look for 3 different types of patterns when applying this principle.  They are: Space: the way that items are arranged in the world, horizontally and vertically. Time: the cycles of time such as days, seasons, and life [...]

The question of what someone can do to start using Permaculture came up in a recent seminar and the answer is simple: Start a garden! It is an easy way to begin applying the ethics and examining the principles while also growing your own food. As not everyone can grow a garden, for various reasons, [...]

While giving a “What Is Permaculture?” lecture recently one of the audience members asked me “Why do you do this?”. This episode stems from that question. Though not a long show, even for my short standards, it is an expression of my passion for this work and why I find it important. The following links [...]

Rather than do the introduction to the show at the beginning, which is how I suspect most other shows would, I decided to wait for 20+ episodes to get around to it. This episodes details the 4 basic goals I use when putting together a show: Make Permaculture Accessible Get you thinking like a Permaculturist [...]

Covering each of Holmgren’s principles continues to march forward as the discussion turns to making no waste. You are on a good track by downloading this Podcast rather than using a tape or compact disc to listen to it, but there is more that we can do and this show covers that in depth by [...]

The conversation about Holmgren’s Principles of Permaculture continue in this episode covering Principle 5: Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services. Rather than go through a list of renewable resources, instead the episode is geared towards what defines something as renewable for our needs, what resources we should use, and how to decide what how [...]

This episode begins with a quick overview of the principle, an example of self-regulating system that grows and shrinks due to positive and negative feedback loops, and then moves to thorough review of Holmgren’s self-audit, including examples from my own experiences with this assignment. It wraps up with how you can use the concepts presented [...]

This episode wraps up the discussion on obtaining yields. Sometimes in the process to have a sustainable multi-layered design we run into roadblocks that exist because of certain rules and regulations that stems from our laws or because of current social norms. To maximize our yields, and build greater diversity into the system, this can [...]

Continuing our discussion on yields by focusing on annuals, niches, companion planting, and plant guilds, intermixed with various examples from my own life. Again we return to my blueberries and revisit the Three Sisters guild of corn, squash, and beans/peas. As Permaculture is a holistic system, I do run back and forth a bit, as [...]

Now that the holidays are behind us, there is one thing left to take care of: the Christmas Tree.  Since the last several shows have been about yields I wanted to take a few minutes and look at how we can reuse our tree.  I look at: Chipping it to use as mulch Branches as [...]

Expanding on the concepts of Episode 16 by looking at ways to expand our concept of yields while also giving examples from my own experiences on how to create them.  I started with 4 ideas and will continue to work through the list I have until they are done and will then return to examining [...]

This episode continues looking at each of David Holmgren’s 12 Principles of Permaculture in individual detail.  This show is about principle 3, Obtain a Yield and some ideas to consider when looking for a yield.  Episode 17 will contain examples of actions we can take to get them. There are 7 ideas I keep in [...]