Sami Grover
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It's been a while since I last posted in my series on Permaculture Design Principles, but I have a good excuse. I've been learning the lessons of green parenting, and trying to stay sane in the first weeks of fatherhood. But now I'm back, and I'm ready to dive in to the next and final chapter - Diversity.
Just to recap, we've already covered sectors in permaculture, permaculture zoning, relative location, and many other principles.
We've also covered the idea of providing a single function with multiple elements, and the reverse idea of each element providing multiple functions—both of which relate to the core tennet of permaculture: diversity. In fact, if I had to summarise the single most important lesson of permaculture, I'd sum it up with the age-old phrase, "don't put all of your eggs in one basket."
You see, while industrial agriculture follows a liniear model of monoculture, permaculture seeks to emulate nature by encouraging diversity in all its forms—whether it's planting a range of species, or a range of varieties, or encouraging a range of microclimates within your design, diversity means a more stable system that is better able to withstand shocks. When tomato blight hits, you'll be better off if you planted a wide variety of resistant tomatoes. You'll be even better off if you also planted peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. And you'll be better off still if you have an edible landscape of fruit trees, nuts and perennial vegetables.
Diversity can even relate to your lifestyle or dwelling— rely solely on mains water or electricity, and a disruption of service leaves you in the dark, but set up alternative sources of power and water, and you can remain somewhat self-reliant. Similarly, if your only income relies on one job in the global economy, you are vulnerable to recession. (As if we'd ever have a recession, right?) But learn some trades, cultivate some different sources of income, and learn to live more off the land, and you create a buffer between you and the stresses of the outside world. Similarly, engage yourself with the diversity of your community, and you'll be better placed to both offer and receive support when tough times role around.
But be warned, diversity is not a case of "more is better" sometimes an overly complex system can become unmanageable. If you have 36 varieties of veegetable ripening at different times, and needing different treatments, you can end up working yourself to death. So use diversity as a tool, but don't be afraid to simplify either if it gets too much.
Renovation Nation Explores Permaculture Design
Related Links
Permaculture Design Principles: Gardening With Nature
Permaculture Design Principles: Sectors
Permaculture Design Principles: Zoning
Permaculture Design Principles: Relative Location Permaculture Design Principles: One Element, Multiple Functions
Permaculture Design Principles: One Function, Multiple Elements
Permaculture Design Principles: Energy Efficiency
Permaculture Design Principles: Biological Resources
Permaculture Design Principles: Plant Succession
Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.
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