Subject: Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources - Alternative Farming Systems

From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 21:32:45 -0500

<http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perma.html>

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             Introduction to Permaculture:
             Concepts and Resources
             Alternative Farming Systems

             ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
             P.O. Box 3657
             Fayetteville, AR 72702
             Phone: 1-800-346-9140 --- FAX: (479) 442-9842

             Index
             Introduction to permaculture
             Permaculture defined
             Characteristics of permaculture
             The practical application of permaculture
             The ethics of permaculture
             The principles of permaculture design
             Permaculture resources
                   United States
                   Australia
                   Around the world Books on permaculture
             A few good books for the permaculturist's bookshelf
             Permaculture e-mail discussion groups & web links
             About this publication (formerly The Permaculture FAQ)

             Introduction

             The word "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, and one of his 
students, David Holmgren. It is a contraction of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture."

             Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and 
community building movement which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual and 
perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements 
themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy 
is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature.

             A central theme in permaculture is the design of ecological landscapes that produce food. Emphasis is 
placed on multi-use plants, cultural practices such as sheet mulching and trellising, and the integration of animals to 
recycle nutrients and graze weeds.

             However, permaculture entails much more than just food production. Energy-efficient buildings, waste water 
treatment, recycling, and land stewardship in general are other important components of permaculture. More recently, 
permaculture has expanded its purview to include economic and social structures that support the evolution and 
development of more permanent communities, such as co-housing projects and eco-villages. As such, permaculture design 
concepts are applicable to urban as well as rural settings, and are appropriate for single households as well as whole 
farms and villages.

             "Integrated farming" and "ecological engineering" are terms sometimes used to describe perma-culture, with 
"cultivated ecology" perhaps coming the closest. Though helpful, these terms alone do not capture the holistic nature of 
permaculture; thus, the following definitions are included here to provide additional insight.

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             Permaculture Defined

                1. From Bill Mollison:

                   Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments.

                2. From the Permaculture Drylands Institute, published in The Permaculture Activist (Autumn 1989):

                   Permaculture: the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, 
housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth 
and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways.

                3. From Lee Barnes (former editor of Katuah Journal and Permaculture Connections), Waynesville, North 
Carolina:

                   Permaculture (PERMAnent agriCULTURE or PERMAnent CULTURE) is a sustainable design system stressing 
the harmonious interrelationship of humans, plants, animals and the Earth.

                   To paraphrase the founder of permaculture, designer Bill Mollison:

                   Permaculture principles focus on thoughtful designs for small-scale intensive systems which are labor 
efficient and which use biological resources instead of fossil fuels. Designs stress ecological connections and closed 
energy and material loops. The core of permaculture is design and the working relationships and connections between all 
things. Each component in a system performs multiple functions, and each function is supported by many elements. Key to 
efficient design is observation and replication of natural ecosystems, where designers maximize diversity with 
polycultures, stress efficient energy planning for houses and settlement, using and accelerating natural plant 
succession, and increasing the highly productive "edge-zones" within the system.

                4. From Michael Pilarski, founder of Friends of the Trees, published in International Green Front Report 
(1988):

                   Permaculture is: the design of land use systems that are sustainable and environmentally sound; the 
design of culturally appropriate systems which lead to social stability; a design system characterized by an integrated 
application of ecological principles in land use; an international movement for land use planning and design; an ethical 
system stressing positivism and cooperation.

                   In the broadest sense, permaculture refers to land use systems which promote stability in society, 
utilize resources in a sustainable way and preserve wildlife habitat and the genetic diversity of wild and domestic 
plants and animals. It is a synthesis of ecology and geography, of observation and design. Permaculture involves ethics 
of earth care because the sustainable use of land cannot be separated from life-styles and philosophical issues.

                5. From a Bay Area Permaculture Group brochure, published in West Coast Permaculture News & Gossip and 
Sustainable Living Newsletter (Fall 1995):

                   Permaculture is a practical concept which can be applied in the city, on the farm, and in the 
wilderness. Its principles empower people to establish highly productive environments providing for food, energy, 
shelter, and other material and non-material needs, including economic. Carefully observing natural patterns 
characteristic of a particular site, the permaculture designer gradually discerns optimal methods for integrating water 
catchment, human shelter, and energy systems with tree crops, edible and useful perennial plants, domestic and wild 
animals and aquaculture.

                   Permaculture adopts techniques and principles from ecology, appropriate technology, sustainable 
agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous peoples. The ethical basis of permaculture rests upon care of the 
earth-maintaining a system in which all life can thrive. This includes human access to resources and provisions, but not 
the accumulation of wealth, power, or land beyond their needs.

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             Characteristics of Permaculture†

                 o Permaculture is one of the most holistic, integrated systems analysis and design methodologies found 
in the world.

                 o Permaculture can be applied to create productive ecosystems from the human- use standpoint or to help 
degraded ecosystems recover health and wildness. Permaculture can be applied in any ecosystem, no matter how degraded.

                 o Permaculture values and validates traditional knowledge and experience. Permaculture incorporates 
sustainable agriculture practices and land management techniques and strategies from around the world. Permaculture is a 
bridge between traditional cultures and emergent earth-tuned cultures.

                 o Permaculture promotes organic agriculture which does not use pesticides to pollute the environment.

                 o Permaculture aims to maximize symbiotic and synergistic relationships between site components.

                 o Permaculture is urban planning as well as rural land design.

                 o Permaculture design is site specific, client specific, and culture specific.

             †Source:
             Pilarski, Michael (ed.) 1994. Restoration Forestry. Kivaki Press, Durango, CO. p. 450. Reprinted with 
permission from the author.

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             The Practical Application of Permaculture

             Permaculture is not limited to plant and animal agriculture, but also includes community planning and 
development, use of appropriate technologies (coupled with an adjustment of life-style), and adoption of concepts and 
philosophies that are both earth-based and people-centered, such as bioregionalism.

             Many of the appropriate technologies advocated by permaculturists are well known. Among these are solar and 
wind power, composting toilets, solar greenhouses, energy efficient housing, and solar food cooking and drying.

             Due to the inherent sustainability of perennial cropping systems, permaculture places a heavy emphasis on 
tree crops. Systems that integrate annual and perennial crops—such as alley cropping and agroforestry—take advantage of 
"the edge effect," increase biological diversity, and offer other characteristics missing in monoculture systems. Thus, 
multicropping systems that blend woody perennials and annuals hold promise as viable techniques for large-scale farming. 
Ecological methods of production for any specific crop or farming system (e.g., soil building practices, biological pest 
control, composting) are central to permaculture as well as to sustainable agriculture in general.

             Since permaculture is not a production system, per se, but rather a land use and community planning 
philosophy, it is not limited to a specific method of production. Furthermore, as permaculture principles may be adapted 
to farms or villages worldwide, it is site specific and therefore amenable to locally adapted techniques of production.

             As an example, standard organic farming and gardening techniques utilizing cover crops, green manures, crop 
rotation, and mulches are emphasized in permacultural systems. However, there are many other options and technologies 
available to sustainable farmers working within a permacultural framework (e.g., chisel plows, no-till implements, 
spading implements, compost turners, rotational grazing). The decision as to which "system" is employed is site-specific 
and management dependent.

             Farming systems and techniques commonly associated with permaculture include agro- forestry, swales, 
contour plantings, Keyline agriculture (soil and water management), hedgerows and windbreaks, and integrated farming 
systems such as pond-dike aquaculture, aquaponics, intercropping, and polyculture.

             Gardening and recycling methods common to permaculture include edible landscaping, keyhole gardening, 
companion planting, trellising, sheet mulching, chicken tractors, solar greenhouses, spiral herb gardens, swales, and 
vermicomposting.

             Water collection, management, and re-use systems like Keyline, greywater, rain catchment, constructed 
wetlands, aquaponics (the integra-tion of hydroponics with recirculating aquaculture), and solar aquatic ponds (also 
known as Living Machines) play an important role in permaculture designs.

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             The Ethics of Permaculture

             Permaculture is unique among alternative farming systems (e.g., organic, sustainable, eco-agriculture, 
biodynamic) in that it works with a set of ethics that suggest we think and act responsibly in relation to each other 
and the earth.

             The ethics of permaculture provide a sense of place in the larger scheme of things, and serve as a 
guidepost to right livelihood in concert with the global community and the environment, rather than individualism and 
indifference.

                1. Care of the Earth

                   ...includes all living and non-living things–plants, animals, land, water and air

                2. Care of People

                   ...promotes self-reliance and community responsibility–access to resources necessary for existence

                3. Setting Limits to Population & Consumption

                   ...gives away surplus–contribution of surplus time, labor, money, information, and energy to achieve 
the aims of earth and people care.

             Permaculture also acknowledges a basic life ethic, which recognizes the intrinsic worth of every living 
thing. A tree has value in itself, even if it presents no commercial value to humans. That the tree is alive and 
functioning is worthwhile. It is doing its part in nature: recycling litter, producing oxygen, sequestering carbon 
dioxide, sheltering animals, building soils, and so on.

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             The Principles of Permaculture Design

             Whereas permaculture ethics are more akin to broad moral values or codes of behavior, the principles of 
permaculture provide a set of universally applicable guidelines which can be used in designing sustainable habitats. 
Distilled from multiple disciplines—ecology, energy conservation, landscape design, and environmental science—these 
principles are inherent in any permaculture design, in any climate, and at any scale.

                1. Relative location
                2. Each element performs multiple functions
                3. Each function is supported by many elements
                4. Energy efficient planning
                5. Using biological resources
                6. Energy cycling
                7. Small-scale intensive systems
                8. Natural plant succession and stacking
                9. Polyculture and diversity of species
               10. Increasing "edge" within a system
               11. Observe and replicate natural patterns
               12. Pay attention to scale
               13. Attitude

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             Permaculture Resources

             Four ways to learn about permaculture include: the permaculture design course, the permaculture literature, 
the Internet, and permaculture workshops.

             The Permaculture Design Course is the primary vehicle for transfer of permaculture expertise. The standard 
course is 72 hours in length and lasts two weeks. Graduates are issued a permaculture design certificate and are 
entitled to use the term "Permaculture" in the pursuit of livelihood and for educational purposes.

             The permaculture literature is a rich source of information on a wide range of topics dealing with land 
use, plant and animal agriculture, water management, appropriate technology, energy-efficient and toxic-free housing, 
and community design.

             Since 1995, the Internet (e.g., World Wide Web and E-mail) has become an important resource and networking 
tool in the dissemination of permaculture information. A selection of web sites is listed below.

             Permaculture workshops are commonly held as one- to three-day events to provide training on technologies 
such as vermicomposting, solar greenhouses, straw bale construction, sheet mulching, and organic gardening.

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             Permaculture Resources in the United States

             The Permaculture Activist
             P.O. Box 1209
             Black Mountain, NC 28711
             828-669-6336
             828-669-6441 Fax
             [email-masked]
             http://www.permacultureactivist.net
             $19/3 issues per year

                   The Permaculture Activist is the leading periodical for North American permaculture, an execllent 
resource in print since 1985. Articles address permaculture, edible landscaping, bioregionalism, aquaculture, among 
other topics. It also provides a current listing of upcoming permaculture design courses and serves as an important 
networking tool in the U.S., Canada, and Central America. Back issues are available.

                   Earth Haven, the eco-village where The Permaculture Activist is published, hosts permaculture 
workshops and design courses on a regular basis. Altogether, a great place to obtain permaculture resources and 
participate in hands-on teaching.

           Yankee Permaculture, Elfin Permaculture, Forest Ecosystem Rescue Network (FERN), Barking Frogs Permaculture 
Center
           P.O. Box 52
           Sparr, FL 32192-0052
           Editor: Dan Hemenway
           Email: [email-masked]

           Barking Frogs Permaculture Center
           http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/frames.html

           A Guide to Yankee Permaculture Publications: 1983-1997
           http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/publishing.htm

                   Yankee permaculture carries a number of publications on permaculture specific to North America. Past 
issues of Dan Hemenway's publications are still used in permaculture courses and as reference guides. A complete listing 
of articles, information sheets, and publications is available at the website listed above.

                   The Resources of International Permaculture - TRIP. Volume 7 of TRIP, published in 1993, is a 68-page 
issue that contains 1,540 listings of groups working in permaculture, sustainable food systems, and tree-based 
agriculture. Current up-to-date listings are available on diskette.

                   The International Permaculture Solutions Journal (TIPS) and Permaculture Review, Overview and Digest 
(PROD) are published on a sporadical basis. TIPS and PROD feature permaculture articles, book reviews, and resources.

                   The International Permaculture Species Yearbook (TIPSY). Prior to TIPS, Yankee Permaculture put out a 
fantastic yearbook called TIPSY. The TIPSY series is a goldmine featuring plant species lists, articles, and resource 
listings.

             Restoration Forestry
             Friends of the Trees
             P. O. Box 4469
             Bellingham, WA 98227
             360-738-4972
             360-671-9668 Fax
             [email-masked]
             Editor: Michael Pilarski
             http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/

                   Restoration Forestry: An International Guide to Sustainable Forestry Practices (1994) is a 525-page 
guide to resources in restoration forestry. It contains over 50 review articles, 780 organizations, 230 journals and 
periodicals, 800 books, 100 restoration forestry projects underway, and 100 directories on topics relating to 
Restoration forestry, forest ecology, tree seedlings, bioregionalism, and permaculture. It is a massive addition to 
tree-based agricultural literature. Cost is $27, plus $4 postage & handling.

                   Agroforestry Guide to Hawaii: A Resource Guide Directory to Reforestation, Restoration, Forestry, 
Agroforestry, Permaculture & Sustainable Agriculture in the Hawaiian Islands (1997) is a 187-page directory with over 
800 references. Cost is $22, plus $3.30 postage & handling.

                   Other publications from Friends of the Trees include the International Green Front Report (1988, 
$7.00); Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal (Vol. 6, $17.20); and Third World Resource Guide (1993, $5.00) and the West Coast 
Permaculture News & Gossip newsletter.

             Permaculture Drylands Journal
             c/o The Permaculture Institute
             P.O. Box 156
             Santa Fe, NM 87504-0156
             505-455-0270
             [email-masked]
             Contact: Scott Pittman
             http://www.permaculture.net/PDI%20Web/PDI.html

                   Permaculture Drylands Journal was published in a 32-volume series, from 1987 to 1999, by Permaculture 
Drylands Institute, a non-profit organization that is currently in a state of dormancy. The PDI website is still active, 
and contains some helpful introductory information on permaculture as well as an index to back issues. PDJ focused on 
permaculture for arid lands, with a heavy focus on New Mexico and Arizona. Scott Pittman at The Permaculture Institute 
is a good person to contact for permaculture updates and activities in this region.

             Earth Quarterly / Papercrete News
             Box 23
             Radium Springs, NM 88054
             [email-masked]
             Contact: Gordon Solberg
             Earth Quarterly
             http://www.zianet.com/earth/
             Papercrete News
             http://www.zianet.com/papercrete/

                   Earth Quarterly replaced Dry Country News as a publication on Earth-based, low-impact living in the 
American Southwest. Earth Quarterly has also ceased as print publication, though back issues are availabe as an info 
pack through Gordon Solberg, publisher of Papercrete News.

             Temperate Bamboo Quarterly
             Earth Advocates Research Facility
             30 Myers Road
             Summertown, TN 38483
             931-964-4151
             http://www.thefarm.org/businesses/bamboo/tbq.html

                   Temperate Bamboo Quarterly is the quarterly journal published by Sue and Adam Turtle with Earth 
Advocates. It focuses on the bamboo plant which has unique, multi-purpose uses in agroforestry and permaculture. The 
Turtles operate a bamboo nursery, and TBQ has apparently taken a back seat and is currently dormant. Back issues of TBQ 
are highly recommended for anybody looking into bamboo in a temperate climate.

             The Future is Abundant
                   First published in 1982 by Tilth, The Future is Abundant is a classic resource book on permaculture 
at the bioregional level. The book is out-of-print, though select portions may be available on the Internet.

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             Permaculture Resources in Australia

             Permaculture International Journal
             Permaculture International Ltd.
             P.O. Box 219
             Nimbin, NSW 2480
             Australia
             http://www.permacultureinternational.org/

                   Permaculture International Journal was the leading permaculture magazine for two decades, yet ceased 
publication in mid-2000. Permaculture International Ltd. continues its activities online, with a web page that features 
a newsletter, a global directory, an email discussion list, educational resources, and permaculture events in Australia. 
Back issues of PIJ, if they can be found in a library, contain a goldmine of useful information.

             Tagari Publications - International Permaculture Institute
             31 Rulla Road
             Sisters Creek Tasmania 7325
             Australia
             Ph: 61 (0)3 6445 0945
             Fax: 61 (0)3 6445 0944
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.tagari.com

                   The International Permaculture Institute in Tyalgum, Australia, serves as the international 
coordinating organization for permaculture activities such as permaculture design accreditation. Tagari Publications is 
the publishing group for Bill Mollison's publications.

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             Permaculture Resources Around the World

             Permaculture Magazine: Solutions for Everyday Life
             Permanent Publications
             Hyden House Ltd, The Sustainability Centre
             East Meon, Hampshire GU32 1HR
             England
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.permaculture.co.uk
             Cost: U.S. $22, quarterly (available in the U.S. through The Permaculture Activist)

                   Permaculture Magazine is the premier glossy magazine on permaculture worldwide. Each issue is a joy 
to read, accompanied by color photos that illustrate permaculture in action, as well as products and resources to 
support sustainable living and learning. An assortment of topics addressed include permaculture, organic farming and 
gardening, agroforestry, tree crops, multi-use plant species, ecological design, and eco-architecture for temperate 
regions such as Europe and North America. A must-have subscription along with its North American companion, The 
Permaculture Activist.

             Earth Repair Catalog - Permanent Publications UK
             http://www.permaculture.co.uk/erc/welcome.htm

                   Permanent Publications also publishes a number of key books and videos on permaculture: Permaculture 
in a Nutshell, How to Make a Forest Garden, Plants for a Future, Permaculture Teacher's Guide, and The Synergistic 
Garden. The Earth Repair Catalog carries an extensive selection of books, videos, resources, and products for 
sustainable living: permaculture; organic farming and gardening; biodynamics; agroforestry; aquaculture; animals; 
ecological architecture; sustainable building technology; sustainable communities and eco-villages; as well as energy 
saving products and body products.

             The Permaculture Association (Britain)
             London, WC1N 3XX
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.permaculture.org.uk

                   Members receive a quarterly newsletter, Permaculture Works. The Association offers a range of 
learning activities, design courses, and diplomas, and publishes The Permaculture Teacher's Handbook.

             eco-logic books
             Mulberry House
             19 Maple Grove
             Bath BA2 3AF
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.eco-logicbooks.com/
                   eco-logic is a book distributor for specialized topics in self reliance, permaculture, and organic 
farming and gardening. One item, in particular, worth noting is the Manual for Teaching Permaculture Creatively 
published in 1991 by Robin Clayfield and Skye, two well known permaculture teachers. This is a loose file with over 300 
A4 pages of notes and excercises for teaching, including: games, teaching tips, and other creative ideas.

             Permaculture Villager / Forestry for a Small Planet
             Trees for Africa
             P.O. Box 2035
             Gallo Manor 2052
             Zimbabwe
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.junex.co.za/tfa/
                   Two on-line newsletters dealing with permaculture, tree crops, agroforestry, tree planting, and 
community forestry in South Africa. A notable source of grass-roots information, contacts, and resource listings for 
Africa. Back issues are available from 1995 through 1999.

             Kenya Institute of Organic Farming
             John Wanjau Njoroge, Director
             P.O. Box 34972
             Nairobi, Kenya
             Email: [email-masked]
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.kenyaweb.com/agriculture/organic-agri/index.html

                   A Resource Guide of Organizations Promoting Organic Farming in East Africa Region is a 116-page 
resource guide edited by John Kanyuiro, Kihia and John Wanjau Njoroge of the Kenya Institute of Organic Farming - KIOF. 
It provides names, contact information and brief descriptions of organizations working to promote, research or support 
organic agriculture in East Africa.

             Organic World
             http://www.agrar.de/bioherb/ow/index.htm

                   A web site with a large number of organizastions involved in organic agriculture in the developing 
world.

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             Books on Permaculture

             Introduction to Permaculture. 1991. By Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay. Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, 
Australia. 198 p.

             Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements, 3rd Edition. 1987. By Bill Mollison and 
David Holmgren. Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, New South Wales, Australia. 127 p.

             Permaculture Two: A Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture. 1979. By Bill Mollison. 
Tagari Press, Stanley, Australia. 150 p.

             Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. 1988. By Bill Mollison. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 576 p.

             Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. 2001. By Toby Hemenway. Chelsea Green Pub. Co., White 
River Junction, VT. 222 p.

             The Best of Permaculture. 1986. By Max O. Lindegger and Robert Tap. Nascimanere Publishers, Nambour, 
Australia. 136 p.

             The Permaculture Way: Practical Ways to Create a Self-Sustaining World. 1992. By Graham Bell. Thorsons, 
London. 239 p.

             The Permaculture Garden. 1994. By Graham Bell. Thorsons, London. 170 p.

             Permaculture: A Beginner's Guide. 2001. B Graham Burnett. Land and Liberty, Westcliff On Sea, Essex, 
England. 60 p.

             Urban Permaculture. 1993. By David Watkins. Permanent Publications, U.K. 152 p.

             Permaculture in a Nutshell. 1993. By Patrick Whitefield. Permanent Publications, U.K. 75 p.

             Earth User's Guide to Permaculture. 1994. By Rosemary Morrow and Rob Allsop. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW 
Australia. 152 p.

             Getting Started in Permaculture. 1998. By Ross and Jennifer Mars. Candlelight Trust, Hovea, Western 
Australia. 96 p.

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             A Few Good Books for the Permaculturist's Bookshelf

             Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants. 1998. By Stephen Facciola. Kampong Publications, Vista, CA. 
713 p.

             Designing & Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally. 1986. By Robert Kourick. Metamorphic Press, Santa 
Rosa, CA. 370 p.

             Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. 1987. By J. Russell Smith. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 408 p.

             The Permaculture Book of Ferment & Human Nutrition. 1993. By Bill Mollison. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, 
Australia. 288 p.

             Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape. 1996. By Robert A de J Hart. Chelsea Green Pub. Co., 
White River Junction, VT. 234 p.

             How to Make a Forest Garden, 3rd Edition. 2000. By Patrick Whitefield. Permanent Publications, East Meon, 
Hampshire, England. 168 p.

             Water for Every Farm: Yeoman's Keyline Plan. [Date]. By Ken B Yeomans and P.A. Yeomans. Keyline Design, 
Southport, Queensland, Australia. 261 p.

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             Agroforestry Resources

             Temperature Agroforestry Systems. 1997. Edited by Andrew M. Gordon and Steven M. Newman. CAB International, 
New York, NY. 269 p.

                   This is a landmark book on agroforestry for temperate regions. Chapters include agforestry practices 
in North America, New Zealand, Australia, China, and Europe. Read this book for working examples of permaculture on a 
broad-scale.

             North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice. 2000. Edited by H.E. (Gene) Garrett, W.J. 
(Bill) Rietveld, and R.F. (Dick) Fisher. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. 402 p.

                   A collection of eleven chapters originating from an agroforestry symposium. This is a typical 
academic book from American Society of Agronomy, but that should not deter the practitioner, teacher, or student from 
seeking this book as an important contribution to this topic, especially for North American agroforestry. Chapters 
address: ecological foundation for temperate agroforestry; agroforestry nomenclature, concepts and practices; windbreak, 
silvopastoral, alley cropping, riparian forest buffer, and forest farming practices; among others.

             Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems. 1999. Edited by Louise E. Buck, James P. Lassoie, and 
Erick C.M. Fernandes. Lewis Publishers, CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. 416 p.

                   A collaboration between Cornell University and ICRAF, this is another recent addition to the academic 
literature on agroforestry. Like much of the international literature on agroforestry, a large portion of this book is 
geared to tropical systems. The seventeen chapters address: nutrient cycling in tropical agroforestry systems; animals 
and agroforestry in the tropics; water management with hedgerow agroforestry; black walnut agroforestry in Missouri, 
U.S.A.; silvopastoralism; pest management; propagation; trees in managed landscapes; ethnobotany; sustainable 
mulch-based cropping systems with trees; among others.

             The Overstory Book. 2001. Edited by Craig R. Elevitch and Kim M. Wilkinson. Permanent Agriculture 
Resources, Holualoa, HI.

                   The Overstory Book distills essential information about working trees into 72 short, easy-to-read, 
single-subject chapters. Cost is $40, plus shipping. CD's are available for $16.95 plus shipping.

                   Agroforestry Net, Inc.
                   P.O. Box 428
                   Holualoa, HI 96725
                   808-324-4427
                   808-324-4129 Fax
                   [email-masked]
                   http://www.agroforestry.net

             Agroforestry Today
             ICRAF -- International Centre for Research in Agroforestry
             Circulation
             P.O. Box 30677
             Nairobi, Kenya
             Email: [email-masked]
             http://www.icraf.cgiar.org
             $Inquire regarding subscription fee/1-4 issues per year

                   Agroforestry Today is a quarterly magazine that carries reports from around the world on farming 
systems that focus on the integration of trees, crops, and livestock, and the people who raise them. It is one of the 
leading voices for agro-forestry worldwide. While the content deals mostly with sub-tropical and tropical agro-forestry, 
much of the information has universal applications (e.g., mycorrhizae, on-farm research methods, soil-plant 
interactions, tree establishment methods, etc.)

             unasylva
             http://www.fao.org/forestry/FODA/UNASYLVA/unasyl-e.stm

                   unasylva is the quarterly magazine of Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. It also has an 
international focus and therefore tropical systems and developing country technologies are its primary concern, but 
nonetheless it is a valuable resource on tree crops, special forest products, and related topics of interest. Back 
issues are availabe online as PDF's.

             Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA)
             School of Natural Resources
             1-30 Agricultural Hall
             University of Missouri
             Columbia, MO 65211
             http://www.missouri.edu/~afta/

                   $25/year membership fee includes subscription to The Temperate Agroforester, quarterly newsletter. 
Previous editions of Introduction to Permaculture included citations to proceedings of the biennial North American 
Agroforestry Conference series. These proceedings can now be found on the AFTA website. The AFTA website also provides a 
series of introductory information leaflets on agroforestry practices: Alley cropping; Silvopasture; Forest Farming; 
Riparian Buffers; and Windbreaks.

             USDA National Agroforestry Center
             North 38th St. & East Campus Loop
             University of Nebraska - East Campus
             Lincoln, NE 68583-0822
             402-437-5178
             http://www.unl.edu/nac/

                   Publishes InsideAgroforestry newsletter, provides technical assistance to landowners on windbreaks 
and agroforestry, sponsors research, and publishes a number of very informative and practical bulletins and publications.

             agroforestry.net
             P.O. Box 428
             Holualoa, Hawaii 96725
             808-324-4427
             808-324-4129 Fax
             [email-masked]
             http://www.agroforestry.net

                   The website for Craig Elevitch and Kim Wilkinson, publishers of The Overstory e-newsletter (highly 
recommended), as well as publications from Permanent Agriculture Resources: Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands, 
Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide, A Guide to Orchard Alley Cropping, and other bulletins and resources.

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             E-Mail Discussion Lists, Web Forums, & E-Mail Web Archives

             The Permaculture Mailing List | Hosted at Ibiblio.org

                   Information about the list, subscribe & unsubscribe.
                   http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture

                   Current Web Archives at Ibiblio.org (January 2002 to present)
                   http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture/

                   Permaculture Archives. For the web researcher, Larry London (host of PermaSphere at Ibiblio.org) has 
a collection of old, yet still-useful email archives at:
                   http://www.ibiblio.org/london/permaculture/mailarchives/
                   and
                   http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pc-forum-archives.html

             Permaculture Forum at Permaculture the Earth
             http://www.permaearth.org/forums.html

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             Permaculture Web Links and Resources

             Manuals, Primers, and Syllabi on Permaculture

             A Permaculture Primer
             By Dan Earle and Sue Hutchins
             http://home.klis.com/~chebogue/PermacultureIndex.html

             Permaculture - Sustainable Farming, Ranching, Living... by Designing Ecosystems That Imitate Nature
             By Sandy Cruz and Jerome Osentowski, a 6-page Western SARE leaflet
             http://www.crmpi.org/permacul.pdf

             The Ethics and Principles of Permaculture
             By David Holmgren; transcription from design course held at Tir Penrhos Isaf in Wales.
             http://www.konsk.co.uk/resource/holm2.htm

             The Essense of Permaculture
             By David Holmgren
             http://www.holmgren.com.au/html/Writings/essence.html

                 An extract from an upcoming book, Permaculture: Principles and Pathways To Sustainability. Holmgren, 
the co-creator of permaculture, provides a nice summary of the ethics and principles behind permaculture design. The 
Permaculture Design System Flower goes with this piece, accessible through the PDF version, as well as here in HTML:

                 Collected Writings of David Holmgren 1978-2000
                 http://www.holmgren.com.au/html/Writings/Writings.html

                 A collection of twenty-seven magazine articles, conference papers, public lectures, book reviews, and 
other works by David Holmgren, co-creator of permaculture. Holmgren has made these PDF's available on the web as 
screen-readable only. A CD version is for-sale, which allows full access including print as well as permission to copy 
and use for workshops. Altogether, a valuable contribution to the web from someone who's spent a lifetime developing and 
working out the details of permaculture design.

             Permaculture: A Beginner's Guide
             By Graham Burnett
             http://www.permaculture.co.uk/erc/erc2.html#PBG

                 This 60-page booklet, available through Permanent Publications, is a permaculture-for-dummies style 
primer with lively illustration, covering permaculture ethics and principles. A nice learning tool to capture the 
essence of permaculture in a nutshell.

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             On-Line Articles, Fact Sheets & Proceedings

             Permaculture: Sophisticated Ecological Understanding Blended with Common Sense Design Creates Productive 
Landscapes
             by Sego Jackson. IN CONTEXT #8, Winter 1984.
             http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC08/Jackson.htm

             Permaculture: Design For Living
             by Bill Mollison. IN CONTEXT #28, Spring 1991
             http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC28/Mollison.htm

             On-Line articles on Permaculture the Earth
             http://www.permaearth.org/writings.html

                 Building A Bamboo Farm: Using Permaculture Principles in Bamboo Agroforestry by Simon Henderson.
                 http://www.permaearth.org/bamboo.html

                 Constructing the Food Forest Orchard by Larry Santoyo
                 http://www.permaearth.org/foodforestarticle.html

             Permaculture: Perennial Urban Food Systems
             By Kirk Hanson, Green Screens, April 1999
             http://www.olywa.net/speech/april99/hanson.html

             Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence
             Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996
             http://www.rosneath.com.au/ipc6/

                 An online proceedings with about 100 papers and abstracts; an important web resource.

             Organic Farming: The Permaculture Approach
             By David Madge
             Department of Natural Resources & Environment, Victoria Australia
             http://www.nre.vic.gov.au

                 A 2-page fact sheet available in HTML and PDF. The web file name is a mile long and impossible to 
duplicate here. Go to the Victoria website and search on the title. Noteworthy as a rare government-issued leaflet on 
permaculture.

           Saving Mallee Soils -- Organic Broadacre Farming: Improvements to the Environment and Productivity
           Organic Agriculture at FAO, Case Study Report from Australia
           http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/australia.htm

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             Permaculture in North America

             EcoLandTech + PermaSphere
             Larry London's collection at Ibiblio.org
             http://www.ibiblio.org/permaculture/

             Friends of the Trees
             http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/

             Permaculture Drylands Institute
             http://www.permaculture.net/PDI/

             Permaculture at Heathcote Intentional Community
             http://www.heathcote.org

             Three Sisters Permaculture Design
             http://www.bioshelter.com

             La'akea Permaculture Gardens
             http://www.permaculture-hawaii.com/

             Animal Farm Permaculture Center
             ttp://www.neosoft.com/~animalfm/afpchome.htm

             Permaculture the Earth
             http://www.permaearth.org/

             Murad's Permaculture Pointers
             http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/pclinks.html

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             Permaculture in Australia

             Permaculture International Ltd
             http://www.nor.com.au/environment/perma/index.html
             Email: [email-masked]

             International Permaculture Institute (Australia)
             Email: [email-masked]

             Permaculture Visions International
             http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/

             Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence
             Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996
             http://www.rosneath.com.au/ipc6/

             Earthlink- Australia's Environmentally Friendly Directory
             http://www.earthlink.org.au/

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             Permaculture in Europe

             Permaculture Magazine/Permanent Publications
             http://www.permaculture.co.uk

             The Permaculture Association (Britain)
             http://www.permaculture.org.uk

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             Permaculture Around the World

             The Permaculture Activist's Planetary Permculture Directory
             http://www.permacultureactivist.net/pcresources/PcResources2.htm

             Instituto de Permacultura Cerrado-Pantanal -- Brazil
             http://tortuga.com/permacultura/english_pages.htm

             Indigenous Knowledge Pages
             http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/index.html

             Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor
             http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/index.html

             Register of Best Practices of Indigenous Knowledge
             http://www.unesco.org/most/bpikreg.htm

             Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor
             http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/index.html

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             Plants for Permaculture

             Plants for a Future: Edible and Useful Plants
             http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/index.html

             Atcros On Internet - Australasian Tree Crops Sourcebook
             http://www.aoi.com.au/atcros/

             The Vetiver Grass Network
             http://www.vetiver.org/

             The American Bamboo Society
             http://www.americanbamboo.org

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             Permaculture Technologies

             Keyline Design - Water for Every Farm
             http://www.keyline.com.au

             Alternative Technology Association (ATA)
             http://www.ata.org.au

             The Solar Cooking Archive
             http://solarcooking.org

             Sustainable Building Sourcebook
             http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/

             Ocean Arks International
             http://www.oceanarks.org

             Integrated Bio-Systems in Zero Emissions Applications
             http://www.ias.unu.edu/proceedings/icibs/

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             Bioregional & Eco-Village Links

             Global EcoVillage Network
             http://gen.ecovillage.org/

             Intentional Communities
             http://www.ic.org

             Crystal Waters Permaculture Village
             http://www.ecologicalsolutions.com.au/crystalwaters/

             Earthaven Eco-Village
             http://www.earthaven.org

             Arcosanti (Arizona)
             http://www.arcosanti.org

             Auroville (India)
             http://www.auroville.org

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             Virtual Library's on Permaculture & Sustainability

             Sustainable Architecture Building & Culture
             http://www.SustainableABC.Com

             Go To Top

             Agroforestry Web Sites

             Agroforestry in Minnesota
             http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/cinram/

             Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA)
             http://web.missouri.edu/~afta/

             USDA National Agroforestry Center
             http://www.unl.edu/nac/

             Agroforestry for Farms & Ranches
             NRCS, Agroforestry Technical Note No. 1
             http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ECS/forest/technote1.html

             International Ag-Sieve: Agroforesty Special Issue
             Volume II, Number 4 (1989)
             http://fadr.msu.ru/rodale/agsieve/txt/agrofor.html

             The Illinois Virtual Forest: Agroforestry Web Links
             University of Illinois Extension
             http://ilvirtualforest.nres.uiuc.edu/

             Agroforestry Research Trust
             http://www.agroforestry.co.uk

             International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
             http://iufro.boku.ac.at/

             ICRAF - International Center for Research in Agroforestry
             http://www.cgiar.org/icraf/

             Cultivating the Forest: Development of Agroforestry Systems
             Plants and Plants Handbook Issue 5
             WWF, UNESCO and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
             http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/handbook/handbook5/index.html

             Go To Top

             Holistic Management

             The Alan Savory Center for Holistic Management
             http://www.holisticmanagement.org

             Holistic Management: A Whole-Farm Decision Making Framework
             ATTRA
             http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/holistic.html

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             About this Publication

             Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources is a revised and updated version of The Permaculture 
FAQ, which was originally published by the author on the World Wide Web in 1995 and 1996.

             The Permaculture FAQ 1.3, May 1996
             http://www.ibiblio.org/london/permaculture/faqs/permaculture.faq.v1.3

             A permaculture design course graduate, the author is a technical specialist in horticulture and agronomy at 
he Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, the national sustainable farming information center 
located at the University of Arkansas, managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology.

             The focus of the ATTRA program is on farming systems that enhance the economic livelihoods of farm families 
while sustaining the environment. ATTRA provides resources and technical assistance to commercial farmers, including 
small farmers and market gardeners, in the United States. Accordingly, the focus of this publication in on permaculture 
in the temperate U.S. with some emphasis on broad-scale application such as agroforestry and bio-integrated production 
systems.

             Please send updates to: [email-masked]

             Go To Top

             By Steve Diver
             NCAT Agriculture Specialist
             Revised August 2002
             The ATTRA Project is operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology under a grant from the 
Rural Business - Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse 
products, companies, or individuals. ATTRA is located in the Ozark Mountains on the University of Arkansas campus in 
Fayetteville, at PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72702. ATTRA staff prefer to receive requests for information 
about sustainable agriculture via the toll-free number 800-346-9140 .

             Back to ATTRABack to NCAT
             Webmaster

Introduction
to Permaculture:

Concepts
and Resources

Alternative
Farming Systems

ATTRA
- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

P.O. Box
3657

Fayetteville,
AR 72702

Phone:
1-800-346-9140 --- FAX: (479) 442-9842

Index

Introduction to permaculture

Permaculture defined

Characteristics of permaculture

The practical application of permaculture

The ethics of permaculture

The principles of permaculture design

Permaculture resources

United States

Australia

Around the world

Books on permaculture

A few good books for the permaculturist's bookshelf

Permaculture e-mail discussion groups & web links

About this publication (formerly The Permaculture FAQ)

Introduction

The word "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian
ecologist, and one of his students, David Holmgren. It is a contraction
of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture."

Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production
systems. It is a land use and community building movement which strives
for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual
and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive
communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather
on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the
landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found
in nature.

A central theme in permaculture is the design of ecological landscapes
that produce food. Emphasis is placed on multi-use plants, cultural practices
such as sheet mulching and trellising, and the integration of animals
to recycle nutrients and graze weeds.

However, permaculture entails much more than just food production. Energy-efficient
buildings, waste water treatment, recycling, and land stewardship in general
are other important components of permaculture. More recently, permaculture
has expanded its purview to include economic and social structures that
support the evolution and development of more permanent communities, such
as co-housing projects and eco-villages. As such, permaculture design
concepts are applicable to urban as well as rural settings, and are appropriate
for single households as well as whole farms and villages.

"Integrated farming" and "ecological engineering" are terms sometimes
used to describe perma-culture, with "cultivated ecology" perhaps coming
the closest. Though helpful, these terms alone do not capture the holistic
nature of permaculture; thus, the following definitions are included here
to provide additional insight.

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Permaculture Defined

From Bill Mollison:

Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments.

From the Permaculture Drylands Institute, published in The Permaculture
Activist (Autumn 1989):

Permaculture: the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated
systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community
development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth
and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways.

From Lee Barnes (former editor of Katuah Journal and Permaculture
Connections), Waynesville, North Carolina:

Permaculture (PERMAnent agriCULTURE or PERMAnent CULTURE) is a sustainable
design system stressing the harmonious interrelationship of humans,
plants, animals and the Earth.

To paraphrase the founder of permaculture, designer Bill Mollison:

Permaculture principles focus on thoughtful designs for small-scale
intensive systems which are labor efficient and which use biological
resources instead of fossil fuels. Designs stress ecological connections
and closed energy and material loops. The core of permaculture is design
and the working relationships and connections between all things. Each
component in a system performs multiple functions, and each function
is supported by many elements. Key to efficient design is observation
and replication of natural ecosystems, where designers maximize diversity
with polycultures, stress efficient energy planning for houses and settlement,
using and accelerating natural plant succession, and increasing the
highly productive
"edge-zones" within the system.

From Michael Pilarski, founder of Friends of the Trees, published
in
International Green Front Report (1988):

Permaculture is: the design of land use systems that are sustainable
and environmentally sound; the design of culturally appropriate systems
which lead to social stability; a design system characterized by an
integrated application of ecological principles in land use; an international
movement for land use planning and design; an ethical system stressing
positivism and cooperation.

In the broadest sense, permaculture refers to land use systems which
promote stability in society, utilize resources in a sustainable way
and preserve wildlife habitat and the genetic diversity of wild and
domestic plants and animals. It is a synthesis of ecology and geography,
of observation and design. Permaculture involves ethics of earth care
because the sustainable use of land cannot be separated from life-styles
and philosophical issues.

From a Bay Area Permaculture Group brochure, published in West
Coast Permaculture News & Gossip and Sustainable Living Newsletter (Fall
1995):

Permaculture is a practical concept which can be applied in the city,
on the farm, and in the wilderness. Its principles empower people to
establish highly productive environments providing for food, energy,
shelter, and other material and non-material needs, including economic.
Carefully observing natural patterns characteristic of a particular
site, the permaculture designer gradually discerns optimal methods for
integrating water catchment, human shelter, and energy systems with
tree crops, edible and useful perennial plants, domestic and wild animals
and aquaculture.

Permaculture adopts techniques and principles from ecology, appropriate
technology, sustainable agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous peoples.
The ethical basis of permaculture rests upon care of the earth-maintaining
a system in which all life can thrive. This includes human access to
resources and provisions, but not the accumulation of wealth, power,
or land beyond their needs.

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Characteristics of Permaculture†

Permaculture is one of the most holistic, integrated systems analysis
and design methodologies found in the world.

Permaculture can be applied to create productive ecosystems from the
human- use standpoint or to help degraded ecosystems recover health
and wildness. Permaculture can be applied in any ecosystem, no matter
how degraded.

Permaculture values and validates traditional knowledge and experience.
Permaculture incorporates sustainable agriculture practices and land
management techniques and strategies from around the world. Permaculture
is a bridge between traditional cultures and emergent earth-tuned cultures.

Permaculture promotes organic agriculture which does not use pesticides
to pollute the environment.

Permaculture aims to maximize symbiotic and synergistic relationships
between site components.

Permaculture is urban planning as well as rural land design.

Permaculture design is site specific, client specific, and culture
specific.

†Source:

Pilarski, Michael (ed.) 1994. Restoration Forestry. Kivaki Press, Durango,
CO. p. 450. Reprinted with permission from the author.

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The Practical Application
of Permaculture

Permaculture is not limited to plant and animal agriculture, but also
includes community planning and development, use of appropriate technologies
(coupled with an adjustment of life-style), and adoption of concepts and
philosophies that are both earth-based and people-centered, such as bioregionalism.

Many of the appropriate technologies advocated by permaculturists are
well known. Among these are solar and wind power, composting toilets,
solar greenhouses, energy efficient housing, and solar food cooking and
drying.

Due to the inherent sustainability of perennial cropping systems, permaculture
places a heavy emphasis on tree crops. Systems that integrate annual and
perennial crops—such as alley cropping and agroforestry—take
advantage of "the edge effect," increase biological diversity, and offer
other characteristics missing in monoculture systems. Thus, multicropping
systems that blend woody perennials and annuals hold promise as viable
techniques for large-scale farming. Ecological methods of production
for any specific crop or farming system (e.g., soil building practices,
biological pest control, composting) are central to permaculture as well
as to sustainable agriculture in general.

Since permaculture is not a production system, per se, but rather a land
use and community planning philosophy, it is not limited to a specific
method of production. Furthermore, as permaculture principles may be adapted
to farms or villages worldwide, it is site specific and therefore amenable
to locally adapted techniques of production.

As an example, standard organic farming and gardening techniques utilizing
cover crops, green manures, crop rotation, and mulches are emphasized
in permacultural systems. However, there are many other options and technologies
available to sustainable farmers working within a permacultural framework
(e.g., chisel plows, no-till implements, spading implements, compost turners,
rotational grazing). The decision as to which "system" is employed is
site-specific and management dependent.

Farming systems and techniques commonly associated with permaculture include
agro- forestry, swales, contour plantings, Keyline agriculture (soil and
water management), hedgerows and windbreaks, and integrated farming systems
such as pond-dike aquaculture, aquaponics, intercropping, and polyculture.

Gardening and recycling methods common to permaculture include edible
landscaping, keyhole gardening, companion planting, trellising, sheet
mulching, chicken tractors, solar greenhouses, spiral herb gardens, swales,
and vermicomposting.

Water collection, management, and re-use systems like Keyline, greywater,
rain catchment, constructed wetlands, aquaponics (the integra-tion of
hydroponics with recirculating aquaculture), and solar aquatic ponds (also
known as Living Machines) play an important role in permaculture designs.

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The Ethics of Permaculture

Permaculture is unique among alternative farming systems (e.g., organic,
sustainable, eco-agriculture, biodynamic) in that it works with a set
of ethics that suggest we think and act responsibly in relation
to each other and the earth.

The ethics of permaculture provide a sense of place in the larger scheme
of things, and serve as a guidepost to right livelihood in concert with
the global community and the environment, rather than individualism and
indifference.

Care of the Earth

...includes all living and non-living things–plants, animals, land,
water and air

Care of People

...promotes self-reliance and community responsibility–access to resources
necessary for existence

Setting Limits to Population & Consumption

...gives away surplus–contribution of surplus time, labor, money, information,
and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care.

Permaculture also acknowledges a basic life ethic, which recognizes
the intrinsic worth of every living thing. A tree has value in itself,
even if it presents no commercial value to humans. That the tree is alive
and functioning is worthwhile. It is doing its part in nature: recycling
litter, producing oxygen, sequestering carbon dioxide, sheltering animals,
building soils, and so on.

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The Principles of Permaculture
Design

Whereas permaculture ethics are more akin to broad moral values or codes
of behavior, the principles of permaculture provide a set of universally
applicable guidelines which can be used in designing sustainable habitats.
Distilled from multiple disciplines—ecology, energy conservation,
landscape design, and environmental science—these principles are
inherent in any permaculture design, in any climate, and at any scale.

Relative location

Each element performs multiple functions

Each function is supported by many elements

Energy efficient planning

Using biological resources

Energy cycling

Small-scale intensive systems

Natural plant succession and stacking

Polyculture and diversity of species

Increasing "edge" within a system

Observe and replicate natural patterns

Pay attention to scale

Attitude

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Permaculture Resources

Four ways to learn about permaculture include: the permaculture design
course, the permaculture literature, the Internet, and permaculture workshops.

The Permaculture Design Course is the primary vehicle for transfer
of permaculture expertise. The standard course is 72 hours in length and
lasts two weeks. Graduates are issued a permaculture design certificate
and are entitled to use the term "Permaculture" in the pursuit of livelihood
and for educational purposes.

The permaculture literature is a rich source of information on
a wide range of topics dealing with land use, plant and animal agriculture,
water management, appropriate technology, energy-efficient and toxic-free
housing, and community design.

Since 1995, the Internet (e.g., World Wide Web and E-mail) has
become an important resource and networking tool in the dissemination
of permaculture information. A selection of web sites is listed below.

Permaculture workshops are commonly held as one- to three-day events
to provide training on technologies such as vermicomposting, solar greenhouses,
straw bale construction, sheet mulching, and organic gardening.

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Permaculture Resources
in the United States

The Permaculture Activist

P.O. Box 1209

Black Mountain, NC 28711

828-669-6336

828-669-6441 Fax

[email-masked]

http://www.permacultureactivist.net

$19/3 issues per year

The Permaculture Activist is the leading periodical for North
American permaculture, an execllent resource in print since 1985.
Articles address permaculture, edible landscaping, bioregionalism,
aquaculture, among other topics. It also provides a current listing
of upcoming permaculture design courses and serves as an important
networking tool in the U.S., Canada, and Central America. Back issues
are available.

Earth Haven, the eco-village where The Permaculture Activist
is published, hosts permaculture workshops and design courses on a regular
basis. Altogether, a great place to obtain permaculture resources
and participate in hands-on teaching.

Yankee Permaculture, Elfin Permaculture, Forest Ecosystem Rescue
Network (FERN), Barking Frogs Permaculture Center

P.O. Box 52

Sparr, FL 32192-0052

Editor: Dan Hemenway

Email: [email-masked]

Barking Frogs Permaculture Center

http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/frames.html

A Guide to Yankee Permaculture Publications: 1983-1997

http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/publishing.htm

Yankee permaculture carries a number of publications on permaculture
specific to North America. Past issues of Dan Hemenway's publications
are still used in permaculture courses and as reference guides. A complete
listing of articles, information sheets, and publications is available
at the website listed above.

The Resources of International Permaculture - TRIP. Volume
7 of TRIP, published in 1993, is a 68-page issue that contains 1,540
listings of groups working in permaculture, sustainable food systems,
and tree-based agriculture. Current up-to-date listings are available
on diskette.

The International Permaculture Solutions Journal (TIPS) and
Permaculture Review, Overview and Digest (PROD) are published
on a sporadical basis. TIPS and PROD feature permaculture articles,
book reviews, and resources.

The International Permaculture Species Yearbook (TIPSY). Prior
to TIPS, Yankee Permaculture put out a fantastic yearbook called TIPSY.
The TIPSY series is a goldmine featuring plant species lists, articles,
and resource listings.

Restoration Forestry

Friends of the Trees

P. O. Box 4469

Bellingham, WA 98227

360-738-4972

360-671-9668 Fax

[email-masked]

Editor: Michael Pilarski

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/

Restoration Forestry: An International Guide to Sustainable Forestry
Practices (1994) is a 525-page guide to resources in restoration forestry.
It contains over 50 review articles, 780 organizations, 230 journals
and periodicals, 800 books, 100 restoration forestry projects underway,
and 100 directories on topics relating to Restoration forestry, forest
ecology, tree seedlings, bioregionalism, and permaculture. It is a massive
addition to tree-based agricultural literature. Cost is $27, plus $4
postage &
handling.

Agroforestry Guide to Hawaii: A Resource Guide Directory to Reforestation,
Restoration, Forestry, Agroforestry, Permaculture & Sustainable
Agriculture in the Hawaiian Islands (1997) is a 187-page directory
with over 800 references. Cost is $22, plus $3.30 postage & handling.

Other publications from Friends of the Trees include the International
Green Front Report (1988, $7.00); Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal
(Vol. 6, $17.20); and Third World Resource Guide (1993, $5.00)
and the West Coast Permaculture News & Gossip newsletter.

Permaculture Drylands Journal

c/o The Permaculture Institute

P.O. Box 156

Santa Fe, NM 87504-0156

505-455-0270

[email-masked]

Contact: Scott Pittman

http://www.permaculture.net/PDI%20Web/PDI.html

Permaculture Drylands Journal was published in a 32-volume series,
from 1987 to 1999, by Permaculture Drylands Institute, a non-profit organization
that is currently in a state of dormancy. The PDI website is still active,
and contains some helpful introductory information on permaculture as
well as an index to back issues. PDJ focused on permaculture for arid
lands, with a heavy focus on New Mexico and Arizona. Scott Pittman at
The Permaculture Institute is a good person to contact for permaculture
updates and activities in this region.

Earth Quarterly / Papercrete News

Box 23

Radium Springs, NM 88054

[email-masked]

Contact: Gordon Solberg

Earth Quarterly

http://www.zianet.com/earth/

Papercrete News

http://www.zianet.com/papercrete/

Earth Quarterly replaced Dry Country News as a publication
on Earth-based, low-impact living in the American Southwest. Earth
Quarterly
has also ceased as print publication, though back issues are availabe
as an info pack through Gordon Solberg, publisher of Papercrete News.

Temperate Bamboo Quarterly

Earth Advocates Research Facility

30 Myers Road

Summertown, TN 38483

931-964-4151

http://www.thefarm.org/businesses/bamboo/tbq.html

Temperate Bamboo Quarterly is the quarterly journal published
by Sue and Adam Turtle with Earth Advocates. It focuses on the bamboo
plant which has unique, multi-purpose uses in agroforestry and permaculture.
The Turtles operate a bamboo nursery, and TBQ has apparently taken a back
seat and is currently dormant. Back issues of TBQ are highly recommended
for anybody looking into bamboo in a temperate climate.

The Future is Abundant

First published in 1982 by Tilth, The Future is Abundant is a
classic resource book on permaculture at the bioregional level. The book
is out-of-print, though select portions may be available on the Internet.

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Permaculture Resources
in Australia

Permaculture International Journal

Permaculture International Ltd.

P.O. Box 219

Nimbin, NSW 2480

Australia

http://www.permacultureinternational.org/

Permaculture International Journal was the leading permaculture
magazine for two decades, yet ceased publication in mid-2000. Permaculture
International Ltd. continues its activities online, with a web page that
features a newsletter, a global directory, an email discussion list, educational
resources, and permaculture events in Australia. Back issues of PIJ, if
they can be found in a library, contain a goldmine of useful information.

Tagari Publications - International Permaculture Institute

31 Rulla Road

Sisters Creek Tasmania 7325

Australia

Ph: 61 (0)3 6445 0945

Fax: 61 (0)3 6445 0944

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.tagari.com

The International Permaculture Institute in Tyalgum, Australia, serves
as the international coordinating organization for permaculture activities
such as permaculture design accreditation. Tagari Publications is the
publishing group for Bill Mollison's publications.

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Permaculture Resources
Around the World

Permaculture Magazine: Solutions for Everyday Life

Permanent Publications

Hyden House Ltd, The Sustainability Centre

East Meon, Hampshire GU32 1HR

England

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.permaculture.co.uk

Cost: U.S. $22, quarterly (available in the U.S. through The Permaculture
Activist)

Permaculture Magazine is the premier glossy magazine on permaculture
worldwide. Each issue is a joy to read, accompanied by color photos that
illustrate permaculture in action, as well as products and resources to
support sustainable living and learning. An assortment of topics addressed
include permaculture, organic farming and gardening, agroforestry, tree
crops, multi-use plant species, ecological design, and eco-architecture
for temperate regions such as Europe and North America. A must-have subscription
along with its North American companion, The Permaculture Activist.

Earth Repair Catalog - Permanent Publications UK

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/erc/welcome.htm

Permanent Publications also publishes a number of key books and videos
on permaculture: Permaculture in a Nutshell, How to Make a Forest
Garden, Plants for a Future, Permaculture Teacher's Guide,
and The Synergistic Garden. The Earth Repair Catalog carries
an extensive selection of books, videos, resources, and products for
sustainable living: permaculture; organic farming and gardening; biodynamics;
agroforestry; aquaculture; animals; ecological architecture; sustainable
building technology; sustainable communities and eco-villages; as well
as energy saving products and body products.

The Permaculture Association (Britain)

London, WC1N 3XX

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.permaculture.org.uk

Members receive a quarterly newsletter, Permaculture Works. The
Association offers a range of learning activities, design courses, and
diplomas, and publishes The Permaculture Teacher's Handbook.

eco-logic books

Mulberry House

19 Maple Grove

Bath BA2 3AF

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.eco-logicbooks.com/

eco-logic is a book distributor for specialized topics in self reliance,
permaculture, and organic farming and gardening. One item, in particular,
worth noting is the Manual for Teaching Permaculture Creatively published
in 1991 by Robin Clayfield and Skye, two well known permaculture teachers.
This is a loose file with over 300 A4 pages of notes and excercises for
teaching, including: games, teaching tips, and other creative ideas.

Permaculture Villager / Forestry for a Small Planet

Trees for Africa

P.O. Box 2035

Gallo Manor 2052

Zimbabwe

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.junex.co.za/tfa/

Two on-line newsletters dealing with permaculture, tree crops, agroforestry,
tree planting, and community forestry in South Africa. A notable source
of grass-roots information, contacts, and resource listings for Africa.
Back issues are available from 1995 through 1999.

Kenya Institute of Organic Farming

John Wanjau Njoroge, Director

P.O. Box 34972

Nairobi, Kenya

Email: [email-masked]

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.kenyaweb.com/agriculture/organic-agri/index.html

A Resource Guide of Organizations Promoting Organic Farming in East
Africa Region is a 116-page resource guide edited by John Kanyuiro,
Kihia and John Wanjau Njoroge of the Kenya Institute of Organic Farming
- KIOF. It provides names, contact information and brief descriptions
of organizations working to promote, research or support organic agriculture
in East Africa.

Organic World

http://www.agrar.de/bioherb/ow/index.htm

A web site with a large number of organizastions involved in organic
agriculture in the developing world.

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Books on Permaculture

Introduction to Permaculture. 1991. By Bill Mollison and Reny Mia
Slay. Tagari Publishers, Tyalgum, Australia. 198 p.

Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements,
3rd Edition. 1987. By Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Tagari Publishers,
Tyalgum, New South Wales, Australia. 127 p.

Permaculture Two: A Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent
Agriculture. 1979. By Bill Mollison. Tagari Press, Stanley, Australia.
150 p.

Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. 1988. By Bill Mollison. Tagari
Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 576 p.

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. 2001. By Toby
Hemenway. Chelsea Green Pub. Co., White River Junction, VT. 222 p.

The Best of Permaculture. 1986. By Max O. Lindegger and Robert Tap.
Nascimanere Publishers, Nambour, Australia. 136 p.

The Permaculture Way: Practical Ways to Create a Self-Sustaining World.
1992. By Graham Bell. Thorsons, London. 239 p.

The Permaculture Garden. 1994. By Graham Bell. Thorsons, London.
170 p.

Permaculture: A Beginner's Guide. 2001. B Graham Burnett. Land
and Liberty, Westcliff On Sea, Essex, England. 60 p.

Urban Permaculture. 1993. By David Watkins. Permanent Publications,
U.K. 152 p.

Permaculture in a Nutshell. 1993. By Patrick Whitefield. Permanent
Publications, U.K. 75 p.

Earth User's Guide to Permaculture. 1994. By Rosemary Morrow and
Rob Allsop. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW Australia. 152 p.

Getting Started in Permaculture. 1998. By Ross and Jennifer Mars.
Candlelight Trust, Hovea, Western Australia. 96 p.

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A Few Good Books for the
Permaculturist's Bookshelf

Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants. 1998. By Stephen
Facciola. Kampong Publications, Vista, CA. 713 p.

Designing & Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally. 1986.
By Robert Kourick. Metamorphic Press, Santa Rosa, CA. 370 p.

Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. 1987. By J. Russell Smith.
Island Press, Washington, D.C. 408 p.

The Permaculture Book of Ferment & Human Nutrition. 1993. By
Bill Mollison. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, Australia. 288 p.

Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape. 1996. By Robert
A de J Hart. Chelsea Green Pub. Co., White River Junction, VT. 234 p.

How to Make a Forest Garden, 3rd Edition. 2000. By Patrick Whitefield.
Permanent Publications, East Meon, Hampshire, England. 168 p.

Water for Every Farm: Yeoman's Keyline Plan. [Date]. By Ken B Yeomans
and P.A. Yeomans. Keyline Design, Southport, Queensland, Australia. 261
p.

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Agroforestry Resources

Temperature Agroforestry Systems. 1997. Edited by Andrew M. Gordon
and Steven M. Newman. CAB International, New York, NY. 269 p.

This is a landmark book on agroforestry for temperate regions. Chapters
include agforestry practices in North America, New Zealand, Australia,
China, and Europe. Read this book for working examples of permaculture
on a broad-scale.

North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice.
2000. Edited by H.E. (Gene) Garrett, W.J. (Bill) Rietveld, and R.F. (Dick)
Fisher. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. 402 p.

A collection of eleven chapters originating from an agroforestry symposium.
This is a typical academic book from American Society of Agronomy, but
that should not deter the practitioner, teacher, or student from seeking
this book as an important contribution to this topic, especially for North
American agroforestry. Chapters address: ecological foundation for temperate
agroforestry; agroforestry nomenclature, concepts and practices; windbreak,
silvopastoral, alley cropping, riparian forest buffer, and forest farming
practices; among others.

Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems. 1999. Edited
by Louise E. Buck, James P. Lassoie, and Erick C.M. Fernandes. Lewis Publishers,
CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. 416 p.

A collaboration between Cornell University and ICRAF, this is another
recent addition to the academic literature on agroforestry. Like much
of the international literature on agroforestry, a large portion of this
book is geared to tropical systems. The seventeen chapters address: nutrient
cycling in tropical agroforestry systems; animals and agroforestry in
the tropics; water management with hedgerow agroforestry; black walnut
agroforestry in Missouri, U.S.A.; silvopastoralism; pest management; propagation;
trees in managed landscapes; ethnobotany; sustainable mulch-based cropping
systems with trees; among others.

The Overstory Book. 2001. Edited by Craig R. Elevitch and Kim M.
Wilkinson. Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, HI.

The Overstory Book distills essential information about working
trees into 72 short, easy-to-read, single-subject chapters. Cost is $40,
plus shipping. CD's are available for $16.95 plus shipping.

Agroforestry Net, Inc.

P.O. Box 428

Holualoa, HI 96725

808-324-4427

808-324-4129 Fax

[email-masked]

http://www.agroforestry.net

Agroforestry Today

ICRAF -- International Centre for Research in Agroforestry

Circulation

P.O. Box 30677

Nairobi, Kenya

Email: [email-masked]

http://www.icraf.cgiar.org

$Inquire regarding subscription fee/1-4 issues per year

Agroforestry Today is a quarterly magazine that carries reports
from around the world on farming systems that focus on the integration
of trees, crops, and livestock, and the people who raise them. It is one
of the leading voices for agro-forestry worldwide. While the content deals
mostly with sub-tropical and tropical agro-forestry, much of the information
has universal applications (e.g., mycorrhizae, on-farm research methods,
soil-plant interactions, tree establishment methods, etc.)

unasylva

http://www.fao.org/forestry/FODA/UNASYLVA/unasyl-e.stm

unasylva is the quarterly magazine of Food and Agriculture Organization,
FAO. It also has an international focus and therefore tropical systems
and developing country technologies are its primary concern, but nonetheless
it is a valuable resource on tree crops, special forest products, and
related topics of interest. Back issues are availabe online as PDF's.

Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA)

School of Natural Resources

1-30 Agricultural Hall

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO 65211

http://www.missouri.edu/~afta/

$25/year membership fee includes subscription to The Temperate Agroforester,
quarterly newsletter. Previous editions of Introduction
to Permaculture included citations to proceedings of the biennial
North American Agroforestry Conference series. These proceedings can
now be found on the AFTA website. The AFTA website also provides a series
of introductory information leaflets on agroforestry practices: Alley
cropping; Silvopasture; Forest Farming; Riparian Buffers; and Windbreaks.

USDA National Agroforestry Center

North 38th St. & East Campus Loop

University of Nebraska - East Campus

Lincoln, NE 68583-0822

402-437-5178

http://www.unl.edu/nac/

Publishes InsideAgroforestry newsletter, provides technical assistance
to landowners on windbreaks and agroforestry, sponsors research, and publishes
a number of very informative and practical bulletins and publications.

agroforestry.net

P.O. Box 428

Holualoa, Hawaii 96725

808-324-4427

808-324-4129 Fax

[email-masked]

http://www.agroforestry.net

The website for Craig Elevitch and Kim Wilkinson, publishers of The
Overstory e-newsletter (highly recommended), as well as publications
from Permanent Agriculture Resources: Agroforestry
Guides for Pacific Islands, Nitrogen
Fixing Tree Start-up Guide, A
Guide to Orchard Alley Cropping, and other bulletins and resources.

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E-Mail Discussion Lists,
Web Forums, & E-Mail Web Archives

The Permaculture Mailing List | Hosted at Ibiblio.org

Information about the list, subscribe & unsubscribe.

http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture

Current Web Archives at Ibiblio.org (January 2002 to present)

http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture/

Permaculture Archives. For the web researcher, Larry
London (host of PermaSphere at Ibiblio.org) has a collection of old,
yet still-useful email archives at:

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/permaculture/mailarchives/

and

http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pc-forum-archives.html

Permaculture Forum at Permaculture the Earth

http://www.permaearth.org/forums.html
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Permaculture Web
Links and Resources

Manuals,
Primers, and Syllabi on Permaculture

A Permaculture Primer

By Dan Earle and Sue Hutchins

http://home.klis.com/~chebogue/PermacultureIndex.html

Permaculture - Sustainable Farming, Ranching, Living... by Designing
Ecosystems That Imitate Nature

By Sandy Cruz and Jerome Osentowski, a 6-page Western SARE leaflet

http://www.crmpi.org/permacul.pdf

The Ethics and Principles of Permaculture

By David Holmgren; transcription from design course held at Tir
Penrhos Isaf in Wales.

http://www.konsk.co.uk/resource/holm2.htm

The Essense of Permaculture

By David Holmgren

http://www.holmgren.com.au/html/Writings/essence.html

An extract from an upcoming book, Permaculture: Principles and Pathways
To Sustainability. Holmgren, the co-creator of permaculture, provides
a nice summary of the ethics and principles behind permaculture design.
The Permaculture Design System Flower goes with this piece, accessible
through the PDF version, as well as here in HTML:

Collected Writings of David Holmgren 1978-2000

http://www.holmgren.com.au/html/Writings/Writings.html

A collection of twenty-seven magazine articles, conference papers,
public lectures, book reviews, and other works by David Holmgren, co-creator
of permaculture. Holmgren has made these PDF's available on the web
as screen-readable only. A CD version is for-sale, which allows full
access including print as well as permission to copy and use for workshops.
Altogether, a valuable contribution to the web from someone
who's spent a lifetime developing and working out the details of permaculture
design.

Permaculture: A Beginner's Guide

By Graham Burnett

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/erc/erc2.html#PBG

This 60-page booklet, available
through Permanent Publications, is a permaculture-for-dummies style
primer with lively illustration, covering permaculture ethics and principles.
A nice learning tool to capture the essence of permaculture in a nutshell.

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On-Line
Articles, Fact Sheets & Proceedings

Permaculture: Sophisticated Ecological Understanding Blended with
Common Sense Design Creates Productive Landscapes

by Sego Jackson. IN CONTEXT #8, Winter 1984.

http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC08/Jackson.htm

Permaculture: Design For Living

by Bill Mollison. IN CONTEXT #28, Spring 1991

http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC28/Mollison.htm

On-Line articles on Permaculture the Earth

http://www.permaearth.org/writings.html

Building A Bamboo Farm: Using Permaculture Principles in Bamboo
Agroforestry by Simon Henderson.

http://www.permaearth.org/bamboo.html

Constructing the Food Forest Orchard by Larry Santoyo

http://www.permaearth.org/foodforestarticle.html

Permaculture: Perennial Urban Food Systems

By Kirk Hanson, Green Screens, April 1999

http://www.olywa.net/speech/april99/hanson.html

Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence

Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996

http://www.rosneath.com.au/ipc6/

An online proceedings with about 100 papers and abstracts; an important
web resource.

Organic Farming: The Permaculture Approach

By David Madge

Department of Natural Resources & Environment, Victoria Australia

http://www.nre.vic.gov.au

A 2-page fact sheet available in HTML and PDF. The web file name is
a mile long and impossible to duplicate here. Go to the Victoria website
and search on the title. Noteworthy as a rare government-issued leaflet
on permaculture.

Saving Mallee Soils -- Organic Broadacre Farming: Improvements
to the Environment and Productivity

Organic Agriculture at FAO, Case Study Report from Australia

http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/australia.htm

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Permaculture
in North America

EcoLandTech + PermaSphere

Larry London's collection at Ibiblio.org

http://www.ibiblio.org/permaculture/

Friends of the Trees

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4663/

Permaculture Drylands Institute

http://www.permaculture.net/PDI/
Permaculture
at Heathcote Intentional Community

http://www.heathcote.org

Three Sisters Permaculture Design

http://www.bioshelter.com

La'akea Permaculture Gardens

http://www.permaculture-hawaii.com/

Animal Farm Permaculture Center

ttp://www.neosoft.com/~animalfm/afpchome.htm

Permaculture the Earth

http://www.permaearth.org/

Murad's Permaculture Pointers

http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/pclinks.html

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Permaculture
in Australia

Permaculture International Ltd

http://www.nor.com.au/environment/perma/index.html

Email: [email-masked]

International Permaculture Institute (Australia)

Email: [email-masked]

Permaculture Visions International

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/

Sixth International Permaculture Conference & Convergence

Perth & Bridgetown, Western Australia September 27 to October 7, 1996

http://www.rosneath.com.au/ipc6/

Earthlink- Australia's Environmentally Friendly Directory

http://www.earthlink.org.au/

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Permaculture
in Europe

Permaculture Magazine/Permanent Publications

http://www.permaculture.co.uk

The Permaculture Association (Britain)

http://www.permaculture.org.uk

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Permaculture
Around the World

The Permaculture Activist's Planetary Permculture Directory

http://www.permacultureactivist.net/pcresources/PcResources2.htm

Instituto de Permacultura Cerrado-Pantanal -- Brazil

http://tortuga.com/permacultura/english_pages.htm

Indigenous Knowledge Pages

http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/index.html

Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor

http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/index.html

Register of Best Practices of Indigenous Knowledge

http://www.unesco.org/most/bpikreg.htm

Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor

http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/index.html

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Plants
for Permaculture

Plants for a Future: Edible and Useful Plants

http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/index.html

Atcros On Internet - Australasian Tree Crops Sourcebook

http://www.aoi.com.au/atcros/

The Vetiver Grass Network

http://www.vetiver.org/

The American Bamboo Society

http://www.americanbamboo.org

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Permaculture
Technologies

Keyline Design - Water for Every Farm

http://www.keyline.com.au

Alternative Technology Association (ATA)

http://www.ata.org.au

The Solar Cooking Archive

http://solarcooking.org

Sustainable Building Sourcebook

http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/

Ocean Arks International

http://www.oceanarks.org

Integrated Bio-Systems in Zero Emissions Applications

http://www.ias.unu.edu/proceedings/icibs/

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Bioregional
& Eco-Village Links

Global EcoVillage Network

http://gen.ecovillage.org/

Intentional Communities

http://www.ic.org

Crystal Waters Permaculture Village

http://www.ecologicalsolutions.com.au/crystalwaters/

Earthaven Eco-Village

http://www.earthaven.org

Arcosanti (Arizona)

http://www.arcosanti.org

Auroville (India)

http://www.auroville.org

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Virtual
Library's on Permaculture & Sustainability

Sustainable Architecture Building & Culture

http://www.SustainableABC.Com

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Agroforestry
Web Sites

Agroforestry in Minnesota

http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/cinram/

Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA)

http://web.missouri.edu/~afta/

USDA National Agroforestry Center

http://www.unl.edu/nac/

Agroforestry for Farms & Ranches

NRCS, Agroforestry Technical Note No. 1

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ECS/forest/technote1.html
International
Ag-Sieve: Agroforesty Special Issue

Volume II, Number 4 (1989)

http://fadr.msu.ru/rodale/agsieve/txt/agrofor.html

The Illinois Virtual Forest: Agroforestry Web Links

University of Illinois Extension

http://ilvirtualforest.nres.uiuc.edu/

Agroforestry Research Trust

http://www.agroforestry.co.uk

International Union of Forestry Research Organizations

http://iufro.boku.ac.at/

ICRAF - International Center for Research in Agroforestry

http://www.cgiar.org/icraf/

Cultivating the Forest: Development of Agroforestry Systems

Plants and Plants Handbook Issue 5

WWF, UNESCO and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/handbook/handbook5/index.html

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Holistic
Management

The Alan Savory Center for Holistic Management

http://www.holisticmanagement.org

Holistic Management: A Whole-Farm Decision Making Framework

ATTRA

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/holistic.html

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About this Publication

Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources is a revised
and updated version of The Permaculture FAQ, which was originally
published by the author on the World Wide Web in 1995 and 1996.

The Permaculture FAQ 1.3, May 1996

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/permaculture/faqs/permaculture.faq.v1.3

A permaculture design course graduate, the author is a technical specialist
in horticulture and agronomy at he Appropriate Technology Transfer for
Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, the national sustainable farming information
center located at the University of Arkansas, managed by the National
Center for Appropriate Technology.

The focus of the ATTRA program is on farming systems that enhance the
economic livelihoods of farm families while sustaining the environment.
ATTRA provides resources and technical assistance to commercial farmers,
including small farmers and market gardeners, in the United States. Accordingly,
the focus of this publication in on permaculture in the temperate U.S.
with some emphasis on broad-scale application such as agroforestry and
bio-integrated production systems.

Please send updates to: [email-masked]

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By Steve
Diver

NCAT Agriculture Specialist

Revised August 2002

The ATTRA Project is operated by the National Center for Appropriate
Technology under a grant from the Rural Business - Cooperative Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or
endorse products, companies, or individuals. ATTRA is located in the Ozark
Mountains on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, at PO Box
3657, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72702. ATTRA staff prefer to receive requests
for information about sustainable agriculture via the toll-free number 800-346-9140
.

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