Att2 - Permaculture Report

Permaculture

Permaculture is a design system which focuses on a closed cycle methodology, using
energy produced within the system to produce energy for the system.
The word Permaculture is derived from “Permanent (Agri)culture”. Permanence is the
operative word, as Permaculture aims to be able to cultivate (Agri)culture permanently.
The only way this can be achieved is by ensuring the permaculture system produces
more energy than it consumes, thus becoming a fully sustainable and self sustaining
system.
Permaculture has adopted a number of other regenerative practices, such as regenerative
grazing methods (cell grazing or holistic management), syntropic farming methods, bio-
intensive farming and more. All these approaches must be regenerative in its nature to be
able to come into the Permaculture fold.
Being sustainable is now no longer enough, one must be regenerative to be able to adapt
to climate change, become more resilient and to assist in combatting climate change.
Permaculture by its nature reduces emissions and resource consumption by re-using, re-
cycling and re-purposing resources. The closed cycle system approach ensures improved
resilience to climate change.

Permeco Inc. approaches every site with the aim to sequester carbon, assist in building
resilience on the site as well as regenerate the soil. As permaculturists we focus on
building soil primarily, from healthy soil comes improved carbon sequestering capacity,
healthier plant and animal life as well as highly productive gardens.
Due to the focus on bio-diversity, we encourage insects, animals and plant life to thrive in
a natural environment, while producing organic wholesome food and restoring healthy soil
life.
As we are in a sub-tropical environment in the Noosa Shire, we have to appreciate the
importance of biomass, biodiversity and accumulated organic matter. We have around
30% of life in the soil and 70% of life above the soil in the sub-tropics, compared to
around 60% of life in the soil and 40% of life above the soil in temperate climates.
Hence the importance of building soil in sub-tropical and tropical areas by using biomass,
biodiversity and accumulated organic matter as described in the methods below.

Permaculture water management practices, which can include minimal earthworks, will
also improve fertility ow on the site, as well as retain nutrients on the site through water
harvesting, thus minimising nutrient loss.
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