A Permanent Culture of Permanent Agriculture

By this point, the majority of us are aware that we have been on the wrong track, environmentally speaking, for many years and are still charging full speed ahead into the great incinerator of doom. Obviously, we need a new system.

For those of us who want to unplug from the machine, Permaculture offers an answer. It’s a comprehensive system designed to create agricultural and lifestyle systems that can ecologically sustain themselves. Indefinitely.

Photo from: http://www.westchestermagazine.com/images/2008/August2008/Talk%20of%20the%20County/garden-tools-6-18-08--0015

An answer to our crisis, according to Permaculture, would involve creating systems of human life that replicate the self-sustaining systems of nature. Relying upon the city to bring you water, a supermarket to sell you food, and electricity to produce your power means there are a lot of external environmental costs you don’t see on the surface. Meanwhile, you could catch your own rainwater—treating and reusing it, grow your own food from a garden and/or livestock (or buy locally) and produce your own renewable power—or don’t product it at all.

There are three elements to Permaculture, according to Wikipedia, which are:

• Earthcare – recognizing the Earth is the source of all life, that Earth is our valuable home, and that we are a part of Earth, not apart from it.
• Peoplecare – supporting and helping each other to change to ways of living that do not harm ourselves or the planet, and to develop healthy societies.
• Fairshare (or placing limits on consumption) - ensuring that Earth's limited resources are used in ways that are equitable and wise.

Now, a few kind folks called Jerry and Michelle have started the first ever Kirksville Permaculture Education Center! They are still getting their feet off the ground, but they plan to offer free classes, give tours, and offer knowledge and support for anyone interested in Permaculture and sustainable living.

I worked at KPEC a few weeks ago doing some digging, and they live in a lovely house out by HyVee with a salvaged piano and a lively kid named Oliver. They even fed me a delicious lunch! If you have some free time, and get your hands dirty. You can contact them, here.

These individuals are run entirely run out of pocket and by donation. If you want to help out and do some gardening, look here for jobs.