Bear Butte Gardens

Permaculture Resources

Overview of Permaculture

Permaculture is a sustainable farming and land management system that designs agricultural practices based on natural ecosystems and principles of ecological balance. It was developed in the 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Australia, aiming to create self-sustaining, regenerative environments. The term “permaculture” combines “permanent” and “agriculture”, reflecting the goal of creating systems that are sustainable in the long term.

Three Ethics of Permaculture

  1. Earth Care - Emphasizes the importance of maintaining ecological balance, enhancing biodiversity, and using natural resources to preserve the Earth’s ecosystems for future generations.
  2. People Care - Promotes social well-being, community resilience, and access to healthy food, education, and sustainable livelihoods.
  3. Fair Share (Return of Surplus) - Encourages a mindset of abundance and sharing, recognizing that the natural world produces more than enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.

Twelve Principles of Permaculture


  1. Observe and Interact – Understanding the natural environment and designing systems that work with, rather than against, nature.
  2. Catch and Store Energy – Designing systems that capture and store resources like water, sunlight, and nutrients to enhance farm resilience and efficiency.
  3. Obtain a Yield – Ensuring that farming practices provide returns, not just in food, but in other useful resources like fiber, fuel, and medicine.
  4. Apply Self-Regulation and Feedback – Observing and adjusting farming systems to avoid problems before they occur and create closed-loop systems.
  5. Use and Value Renewable Resources – Prioritizing resources that are renewable and locally available, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals.
  6. Produce No Waste – Using all resources efficiently and recycling waste materials back into the system to minimize waste and create value.
  7. Design from Patterns to Details – Starting with the broader landscape design and refining it as the system becomes clearer and more developed.
  8. Integrate Rather Than Segregate – Designing systems where elements of the farm work together to create a more productive, supportive environment. For example, planting diverse crops that attract beneficial insects and support soil health.
  9. Use Small and Slow Solutions – Encouraging small-scale, low-energy methods that can be easily managed and adapted over time.
  10. Use and Value Diversity – Promoting biodiversity to create resilient ecosystems that can withstand pests, diseases, and changing conditions.
  11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal – Recognizing that the edges or transition areas (e.g., between forests and fields) can be the most productive and biodiverse parts of a landscape.
  12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change – Embracing change and designing systems that adapt to shifting environmental and economic conditions.

Benefits of Permaculture


  • Environmental sustainability by reducing the carbon footprint and waste.
  • Enhances biodiversity and soil health.
  • Promotes self-sufficiency and reduces reliance on external inputs.
  • Encourages ethical food production with a focus on community and local resources.

Examples of Permaculture Methods


Permaculture uses sustainable and regenerative methods to design productive agricultural and living systems that work in harmony with nature. These methods focus on efficient resource use, biodiversity, soil health, and water conservation. Below are some key permaculture methods:

  • Agroforestry & Food Forests - A layered food forest with fruit trees (canopy layer), berry bushes (shrub layer), herbs (ground cover), and root vegetables (underground layer).
  • No-Dig Gardening (Sheet Mulching & Lasagna Gardening) - Laying down cardboard, compost, straw, and mulch to create fertile garden beds.
  • Keyline Design for Water Management - Using swales (shallow ditches on contour) to catch rainwater and allow it to soak into the soil.
  • Companion Planting & Guilds - The Three Sisters Guild (corn, beans, and squash).
  • Natural Building & Integrated Structures - Earthbag homes, straw bale buildings, and cob houses made from natural materials like clay, sand, and straw.
  • Hügelkultur (Raised Mound Beds) - Constructing a mound by layering logs, branches, leaves, compost, and soil to grow crops like tomatoes or squash.
  • Rotational Grazing & Holistic Livestock Management - Rotating sheep or cattle across paddocks to allow grasses to regenerate before being grazed again.
  • Rainwater Harvesting & Greywater Systems - Installing rain barrels to collect runoff from rooftops.
  • Polyculture & Succession Planting - Intercropping lettuce, carrots, and onions, then following with beans and squash in the next season.
  • Forest Gardening & Perennial Agriculture - Planting fruit trees, berry bushes, and perennial vegetables together in a self-sustaining food forest.