Permaculture is a system of farming sometimes called "food Permaculture is a system of farming sometimes called "food forestry," in which land is planted and managed as it would be by forestry," in which land is planted and managed as it would be by Nature, encouraging superb resilience. Its three pillars are "People Nature, encouraging superb resilience. Its three pillars are "People Care, Earth Care, and Fair Share." Permaculture also provides a Care, Earth Care, and Fair Share." Permaculture also provides a remarkably sound method of managing resources and caring for remarkably sound method of managing resources and caring for communities.
Permacultura Pa'l Pueblo:
Returning Spring 2020!
Land + Heart Project was created as a collective to support and serve the restoration of Puerto Rico through permaculture designs, labor, education, and long-term social progress, based on the needs and wants of the native farmers and growers of Puerto Rico. Our programs bridge the powerful restorative knowledge on the island with specialized knowledge around the world; pairing teachers, certifying farmers, growers, and community participants, and providing site-specific courses that include installations at no cost to on the island. Our goal is to support and expand permaculture practice in each region of Puerto Rico, enabling farms to become education centers for their communities, and to attract resources and income from communities around the world.
Why Permacultura for Puerto Rico?
Bill Mollison says it best: “Permaculture (i)s a ‘positivitic’ response to environmental crisis. That means it is about what we want to do and can do, rather than what we oppose and want others to change. This response is both ethical and pragmatic, philosophical and technical.” - David Holmgren
Permaculture is a design system that is applicable to every aspect of an individual’s life: from farming and gardening, to lifestyle, to economics, to social structures, to resilience. The three pillars of permaculture are Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share. “Permies” believe in the self-sustenance and empowerment that permaculture can and does provide for communities in Puerto Rico. By studying and applying permaculture to one’s home, family, community, business, and more, each part of the whole becomes sustainable and resilient. Creating and reusing resources locally and situation-specifically is the ultimate goal of a permaculture-designed system. This is more than just sustainable farming; this is a resilient life for entire communities.
On a practical level, permaculture in farming “closes the loop” of inputs and waste, creating and fully utilizing every part of abundant food production and environmental restoration from within the same system. Permaculture installations on the island largely survived the destruction of Hurricane Maria. Permaculture produces a resilient variety of foods, while reducing waste and expense, deeply connecting people to land, and restoring the crucial ecosystem between soil, plants, humans, animals, and all other life. In times of environmental crisis, permaculture proactively restores “farming” to “food forestry,” growing food the way Nature grows food. Much of Puerto Rico is a natural food forest. Restoring, expanding, and encouraging this “technique” will serve the island far better in the long run than short-sighted, capitalistic growing ever can.
Permaculture is about honoring the land. When a system is designed to honor the land, the land honors the caretaker of that land. Nature only exists in abundance. Your production increases exponentially over time with less and less resource and labor input.