Home » Posts tagged 'permaculture.org'
Tag Archives: permaculture.org
The Minimalist Gardener
We have two reviews of The Minimalist Gardener, by Patrick Whitefield, written by members. We think both offer valuable insights and reflections so have published them both together! You can buy the Minimalist Gardener at a special price direct from the publisher.
The Minimalist Gardener brings together a series of 17 articles written by renowned grower, permaculturist and teacher, the late Patrick Whitefield and originally published in Permaculture Magazine over a period of more than twenty years. Big thanks are due to Permanent Publications for bringing these articles together into this very accessible and easy reading new reference book.
You should not sit down to read this book without a notepad to hand – you will probably need to keep a dedicated notebook for all the ideas and tips you will pick up and want to record and try out next season. I found it almost a complete practical gardening course that you can use as needed, a series of easy to follow practicals you will be itching to get out and try.
Patrick describes his minimalist ways – and the sometimes mysterious sounding permaculture principles and tactics – in simple, common sense, gardening terms. The term ‘minimalist’ refers to the amount of work put into maximising harvests and may be a more comprehensible term to draw interest from conventional gardeners.
Both novice and expert gardeners, conventional, organic and permaculturists will find new inspiration, ideas and step by step instructions – literally, on the dry stone step and path building section!
Whether dipping into individual sections of special interest or reading from start to finish it is a very engaging and motivating read destined to become a ‘go to’ reference book for the shed with mud stained, dog eared pages rather than sitting quietly on a bookshelf.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Disconnect From the Grid, Reconnect With the Planet
DISCONNECT FROM THE GRID, RECONNECT WITH THE PLANET
The grid: that vast network of utilities that includes electricity, water, sewage, gas and telephone lines. Most utility bills are predictably unpredictable. They maintain a monthly grip around the wallet, keeping most people tethered to one monopoly or another.
For a growing number of people, the idea of disconnecting from the grid can be appealing and somewhat intimidating at the same time. The consequences of climate change, geopolitical instability and socioeconomic disparity are creating profound uncertainty, incentivizing many to move off the power grid – in whole or in part.
Small pockets of people around the globe are increasingly disconnecting from the lattice of black wires that almost surrealistically imposes itself against an otherwise harmonious landscape. Seeking to take back power – literally and figuratively – is not easy, but small sustainable communities and individuals are demonstrating that it can be done. Moreover, they are proving that there are many benefits.
UNPLUGGING: TYALGUM, NSW
Several years ago, local businessman, Andrew Price, bought a butter factory in the tiny town of Tyalgum, NSW. His idea was to create a renewable energy center in the small tourist town of an estimated 300 residents, with the aim of introducing the tourists – and the public in general – to the possibilities and benefits of renewable energy as a technology for personal use in their homes. He then realized that the town had all the ingredients to expand the idea into a renewable energy township.
His vision to take Tyalgum off the grid could result in it being the first town of its kind in the country. To move the dream from concept to reality, he enlisted the aid of Kasey Clifford as project manager. Clifford obtained an initial grant of $15,000 and flew in several experts. Essentially, the experts had two chief goals: promote community engagement and conduct a feasibility study.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Humanure is No Laughter Matter, Part 2: The Easy-Does-It Instructions
Humanure is No Laughter Matter, Part 2: The Easy-Does-It Instructions
So, it would seem with one mountain of humanure now behind us—that, without a doubt, we should be composting human feces and urine (and, some would say, will eventually have no real choice in the matter)—it is now time to address exactly how this movement should begin. For those who missed last week’s article, please feel free to hit the pause button for a recap or simply press on knowing that we adequately explained that bathroom composting is a world must-do.
In urban settlements, the cities proper, where back gardens don’t exist and life is more or less walled-in, there are ready-made composting toilets suitable for the run-of-the-mill, high-rise apartment. These are stand alone, often electrically run, designs that deal with excrement right away, typically drying it out and leaving behind but of miniscule fraction of what originally exited. This, of course, works fine and is a viable solution for urban, suburban and even rural situations.
However, this article is meant for those of us who are in less urban circumstances. We are talking the ¼ acre or more crew with compost bins of our own, a penchant for growing edible landscapes, and a realized pursuit, at least in part, of the agricultural side of self-sufficiency. For those folks, missing out on humanure compost is something that can (and should) be remedied ASAP and easily.
THE ONE-PARAGRAPH REVISION OF WHY IT’S THE TIME FOR CHANGE
Human feces and urine are valuable cycles within the natural system. By taking them out of it via flush toilets, we are leaving the land depleted of useful nutrients, essentially taking out the soil-replenishing part of the garden to mouth to soil back to the garden circle. We are also wasting a massive amount of fresh water and seriously polluting our landscapes and water sources, including lakes, rivers, oceans, and underground springs.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
