My Journey
in Permaculture
Jesse
Hindman
Prescott
College
Spring 2015
In the beginning of March 2015, my friend Tim Richards and I traveled
down to San Diego to attend the Permaculture Voices conference (PV2), a
convergence of truth-seekers from all over the world to learn, grow, and share
with one another. There were a series of talks and workshops throughout the
conference surrounding the various facets of Permaculture, whose ethics and
principles help people make critical decisions in any
number of situations/projects.
This particular conference focused mostly on land-based projects and
their design tools, though Permaculture can be applied in any number of
different arenas. Throughout the conference I felt as if Permaculture is a
movement, as it attracted so many different people, and inspired us all to take
direct and immediate action. Everyone was abuzz with various philosophies,
practices, and projects, all centered around Permaculture.
That said however, there are leading voices in the study of Permaculture
that help to define it in simpler terms, and would argue that it is not, in
fact, a movement at all. To this end, it behooves me to cite a very articulate
view of Permaculture by a man named Toby Hemenway (2012). In his blog, Pattern Literacy, he elucidates “what
Permaculture isn’t—and is.” He says first that “Permaculture is notoriously
hard to define. A recent survey shows that people simultaneously believe it is
a design approach, a philosophy, a movement, and a set of practices.” (para 1)
Hemenway (2012) goes on to say “that the most accurate and least muddled
way to think of Permaculture is as a design approach, and that we are often
misdirected by the fact that it fits into a larger philosophy and movement
which it supports. But it is not that philosophy or movement. It is a design
approach for realizing a new paradigm.” (para 1)
Despite Hemenway’s (2012) contrary comment, I sense it as a movement
insofar as it lends to the creation of a new paradigm. I’ve noticed that people
I’ve met who define themselves as “Permaculturists” are first and foremost committed
to innovation. They are fueled by the desire to create and implement solutions
in innovative ways that make the destructive paradigm obsolete. When people get
together and discuss how Permaculture—especially in its principles and design systems—can
help to shift this paradigm, it feels like Permaculture itself attracts these
people to it. Perhaps “movement” is a dirty word to many, with so many activist
movements proving to be futile, or less-than-realized (e.g., the Occupy
movement).
Generally if I meet someone who is doing something they call
“Permaculture,” I immediately feel a sense of alignment and connection with
them. I’ve been able to make certain assumptions about the person’s values
based solely on their application of Permaculture principles. However, due to
Permaculture’s vague and amorphous definition, it is worth mentioning that
there are incredible projects that for all intents and purposes are using
Permaculture design but would never actually use the term. (Bayuk, personal
communication, 2015)
One of the more interesting points that was brought to my attention
during the conference (forgive me, I forget who exactly said it) is that there
is a need to decentralize "Permaculture" as a term and instead bring
its essence to communities/projects that would otherwise not sign up for a
"Permaculture" event. Its tenets and essence are extremely important,
but just as important is dissuading individuals from getting caught up in the
label or the identification that has the risk of exclusivity. I felt this idea was
reinforced by showing up to a conference of 660 people, with demographics
showing somewhere around 70% men, and 85% white. This lack of diversity is
telling.
In other words, Permaculture is a tool, a system of designs that allow us
to find the simplest, most straightforward solutions to very complex problems.
As a belief structure, it stands up on its own, but should be recognized as but
just a stepping stone on the path away from the current paradigm, and not
necessarily the new paradigm. In other words, it is a transitional force that
will eventually lead us to a place where Permaculture as a label becomes obsolete.
Kevin Bayuk (2015) told me once that there is an opinion shared in his circles that the goal is not to need Permaculture at all, that its ethics –"Earth care, people care, and return of surplus" – are principles so normalized that the label Permaculture no longer has use or meaning. Bayuk (2015) goes on to say: “I see Permaculture as a system that helps people design - helps them make choices or create choices when trying to address particular problems/conditions.”
In some respects Permaculture shows up in my life as a religion, a way
for me to relate to the world through its lens, with the support of other
followers that share the same beliefs. I acknowledge that "religion"
is a charged word, and I mean no disrespect to Permaculture or its followers in
its use here. From the Latin roots re + ligare, means to re - connect or re –
unite. This is my experience of Permaculture so far, and why I see religious
implications; it is serving the same function as religion for me at this time
in my life, a way for me to find a community of like-minded individuals who
have dedicated themselves to its core tenets. I am finding others who believe
in, and have faith in this way of living.
In response to this sentiment, Bayuk (2015) responded by saying, “this is
a common experience of people that learn about permaculture. The need for values-aligned community is
self-evident. The ‘ethics’ in Permaculture
are explicit and create an ‘opt-in’ to sharing values. People that practice Permaculture design, de
facto, are adhering to the ethical boundaries of Permaculture.”
This certainly conveys an important aspect to Permaculture, and one that
I think is an overall motivator for those who choose to adhere to its
principles: the ethics are explicit. They clearly define the boundaries in
which we are to operate, and nothing is left unseen or unsaid.
My experience of Permaculture as a religion and movement is reinforced by
seeing such an outpouring of people from all over converge into one place; it feels
a lot like communion. This in essence was a congregation, with preachers and
teachers alike, illuminating those who feel the call. It seems we are setting
out to abolish the injustices of our current systems, which I believe is the
core founding principle for any religion; religion is founded when there is
unrest, and fills a need to band people together in common purpose. The need
for a shift comes at both the individual level, as well as the collective.
Permaculture's plasticity allows it to be applied in any number of ways,
and should be taken on at an individual level, applying it in whatever unique
way presents itself. There is work to be done and it shouldn't always be
attached to any one label, least of all "Permaculture." Because it is
so amorphous this should be an invitation to use its tools and apply them where
there is need. I fear that there are groups of people who perceive Permaculture
as something wealthy white men practice. I raised this perception to Bayuk
(2015), to which he responded, “Undoubtedly this is the case, and also typical
of an observation of someone that is living in the affluent world. As one of my teachers, Geoff Lawton, told me,
‘I've done permaculture design with communities around the world including
Iraq, Sarajevo, Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador and more and I am relieved to
say that where permaculture is spreading the fastest is in places of dire need,
and almost nobody calls it Permaculture. Nobody gives a damn what it is
called.’” I was pleased to hear this perspective, and also feel inspired to
move away from the Permaculture label, despite how dear it is to me.
I, along with many others, was somewhat disappointed in the lack of
diversity at PV2, in attendees, speakers, as well as subject matter. Land-based
approaches to Permaculture are ingenious and much needed right now of course,
but it dominated this particular conference in a way that left me feeling a
lack. I felt that there needs to be more integration of social justice
discussions.
This is the space with which I identify most. I believe that my role in
the grand scheme of things is one focused on people and commerce. Based upon my
studies, the two are inexorably linked. The works of Jeanine Canty and Joanna
Macy come to mind. Their work is in diligently acknowledging the very real
grief we all feel as the earth is slowly being destroyed. The argument of
course is that we are the earth, and that as our bodies are destroyed, it is
painful. It causes anger, grief, and apathy. Conferences – be they focused on
Permaculture or otherwise – have the
ability create powerful spaces to process this collective earth-grief, and to
employ our talents to the psyches of our brothers and sisters on this planet
earth.
That said, this is where the notion of Permaculture as religion shines
the most for me. We are being asked to do our work to make a positive change,
but this work is all for naught until we can identify the wounds we carry not
just for the earth but for our families, our partners, and our own personal
biographies. These wounds, I would argue, are what keep us disconnected from
the earth in the first place. These wounds are what cause us to act out in
pain, in struggle, in addiction, in violence, in violation. We are violating
ourselves and the earth when we let these emotional traumas go unchecked, but
we've lost a context where we can both literally and figuratively be held in
those wounds. We don't have communities with cohesion, communities that are so
connected one has no choice but to congregate with their neighbors to process
their grief.
Permaculture Voices offered a place for us to connect as well as to learn,
and yet there were little formalized spaces offered by the conference for
emotional process. One exception to this was in what the organization Mycelium offered to the conference. Mycelium is “a learning community: a
living network of people committed to activating their fullest potential and
creating solutions to the challenges and opportunities of our times.” At PV2,
they provided educational integration activities between keynotes. This was an
important way to mingle and provide a context for further support, but I still
want to see this kind of offering developed more intentionally: I want to see conferences
create more offerings to help people get intimate and vulnerable. We need to
forge and strengthen the bonds of this community in a way that develops
lifelong support and trust. We can't all be warriors all the time! We need
space to cry, to laugh, and to engage in meaningful ways with one another.
I was blessed to have been given this experience as a result of this
convergence, and have a lot of gratitude for being given the opportunity to
identify and connect with key people that impact my life in beautiful ways. I
think it is a natural progression when people of like minds get together, but I
want to acknowledge that we could be doing way more to support these kinds of
connections.
In conclusion it is important to say that no matter where you look, there
is no one perfect movement, organization, or conference. There were many things
done right at PV2, and I'm excited to see what happens when people put their
heads together. We need to consistently do more and better, and I'm delighted
to see what Diego Footer has created with his sheer force of will. I'm looking
forward to witnessing what he continues to create with his vision.
Bibliography
T
Hemenway. (2012, November 28). What Permaculture Isn’t—and Is [Web log post].
Retrieved from http://www.patternliteracy.com/668-what-permaculture-isnt-and-is
Bayuk, K.
Lecture, personal communication. March 2015.
