I love the principals and possibilities that Permaculture offers for healing our land. For those of you who have never heard of it, Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies.

Take a look at this little video describing the main principles of Permaculture:

The idea has been around since 1970 or so, and it’s finally beginning to get the recognition it deserves. EarthFlow Design Works (Orange County) and City of Angels Permaculture Academy (Los Angeles) both offer courses in Permaculture. The courses are taught by some of the most knowledgeable designers out there. If you have an interest in gardening and/or the environment, then this is right up your alley. Check it out and if any of you sign up for the classes, I would love to hear about your experience.
I use Permaculture the best that I know how, on my land and in my life. However, I don’t incorporate the animal part into the equation. Personally, I don’t really feel that I need to use animals in Permaculture. I really like most of the thinking behind Permaculture, I just choose to leave the animals alone, as I don’t feel that we need to use them to effectively and beautifully live.
And if any of you are interested in this, and don’t really know where to start, check out the Permaculture Institute. It’s a great resource for learning about permaculture, finding permaculture design courses, and connecting with other people who are also into permaculture.
And if you know about other similar classes or workshops out there, I’d love to hear about those too.
 
Photo Credit: Guaranteed Outdoor Solutions & Holocene Design