Creating the new regenerative reality – Built for the people, by the people.
There’s a growing need for the systematic development of sovereign, creatively self-reliant communities on a global scale? Places where the earth can be honored as our rightful spiritual home. Along with the creatures we share our home with. Where we can begin to create our true abundance, in self-regenerative, ethical community models, interconnected and overflowing with love and purpose. That is why Permaculture!
Where we find ourselves.
One thing’s for sure, the condition of the planet at this time, is causing a lot of people to question the old paradigm. And begin searching for deeper meaning and ways to prepare themselves for coming changes. People are asking for a change, solutions, their hearts know we need. But there have not been so many viable options out there, at least in the mainstream. The question, and understandably concern on most people’s minds is: How to sustain themselves, and their families, during times of change.
Presently our homes, have become our communities, walled in, and padlocked closed, drip-fed life force from the State umbilical cord. Interior walls like flat lifeless planes, needing to be filled with more square objects. Rarely a relic of nature left in view. Only a sea of edges and corners, paying homage to the materials once part of the earth. Heavily processed and disconnected to suit the fashion of the day. From our well-detailed prisons, shackled to a failing and dying system. We are forced to look at our reality and wonder: How we became so disconnected, and how we can fix it.
Growing our own solutions.
Not all is lost, in fact, it may be just the beginning of something amazing. With each new day, more alternatives are starting to show promise. And some sense of cohesion is starting to take shape, but only for those with eyes to see.
One good example is the rise to the popularity of the practices, methodologies, and lessons of a sustainable farming practice called permaculture. Permaculture is a method of living more than a method of agriculture and focuses primarily on working with the conditions in nature to grow our lives again, to take back control of our food supply, and other needs, all on the property we live.
Permaculture is an approach to growing food, which sees all elements as part of the whole. It brings thought and careful consideration to all needs. Not only feeding, but watering, shelter, energy, and waste, and does so by establishing natural systems, structures, etc, that over time become almost self-managing, and work together to maximize benefit, and reduce risk overall.
In designing with Permaculture, buildings and structures are positioned and designed to harness the natural elements and work with the existing conditions, and natural flows. Water storage is a high priority and sets the overall layout of the land, designed to catch as much water that comes to the site, and carefully use it and re-use it on the site. Many options, for natural and lower cost (DIY) alternatives to deal with our own waste, and even to benefit from it, and much more.
Respect Nature!
Permaculture shows us that when we work closely with nature, watch carefully, and learn to mimic how nature regenerates herself: We learn new ways we can develop our homesteads, and land in general, in ways which are not only sustainable but regenerative. Even arid areas of the planet have shown success when permaculture principles have been applied. Example, Geoff Lawton, Greening the Desert in Jordan.
Permaculture Greening the Desert – Geoff Lawton
‘You can fix all the world’s problems, in a garden’.
Geoff Lawton, from Greening the Desert
Creating a community worth living in.
No longer can we feed on an unsustainable system without reaping the consequences. Permaculture and such practices, based on mimicking nature, and regenerating the landscape, should be a part of our new communities. And dwellings of the future, the only question now, is how to translate this into models of community, that is sovereign and fully self-reliant.
At Haven Earth Center, we are working toward this goal. Collaborating with others in the fields of natural building, biomimicry, permaculture, etc, to design models of these very community projects. We are finding ways in which these types of projects can be developed. And is already in the process with landowners, and projects internationally, working toward this. There are projects in development in the US, Russia, Africa. That will implement the principles of permaculture into a whole systems approach, consciously creating organic, sustainable, eco-communities, set in Rural or Nature locations.
All Nature!
A big part of what we feel is important is not just developing land in sustainable ways. But in the process, to be educating and sharing these techniques. Knowledge with a wider audience, as this is valuable information to assist people to create and develop their own land, and/or to work toward bigger goals of creating community, which we can also assist.
There is one interesting permaculture homestead/farm project in Turkey. The land has been designed with permaculture principles, and natural-eco construction techniques. A wonderful part of permaculture is also the inclusion and importance of structures built using natural materials as possible, designing them to work best in their surroundings.
Soon a workshop will be hosted to build a modest dome home dwelling on the property, which will house the landowner (permaculturalist) and his parents. This home will be made using two sustainable building techniques, SuperAdobe and Air-Crete. I welcome anyone who may be interested to learn these great techniques of natural building to join this project. It’s a very important element of any permaculture project, to have suitable dwellings, that not only fit the theme, but also add a new dimension to dwelling, and relating to nature around.
More information and details can be found at:
This was a guest article from HavenEarth (text and pictures). Read our article about The Peace Corps Experience.