Permaculture in New Zealand

Each day was begun by learning some relevant Maori language. I have grown a deep appreciation for the way their words show how valuable connection to the earth and each other is. Many words encompass feelings and ideas, and have deeper meanings to them than  can possibly be expressed in english. The words were shared by a super sweet girl of Maori descent, Ngaire (one of my new favorite humans ever), and one of her goals of taking the permaculture course is to help re-organize her local Marae to be more effecitve and connected.

Here are some of my favorite words.

“Kaitiakitanga” – An obligation to implement care and protection of all forms of life, and to look after and respect the earth mother and sun father

“Kaitiaki” – A caretaker of the land, who nurtures it and ensures it will always provide abundant life

“Uri” – Offspring of the earth parents (all of life is the children of the of the sun, mountains, waters, and forests)

“Hau” (wind), “Maunga” (mountain), “Awa” (river), and “Rakau” (tree). All of these elements of the natural world are considered elders in the evolutionary family, and who have given birth to humans. They hold these elders in the highest respect.

“Wairua” – The spirit of the water

“Whenua” – The land, the placenta

“Koha” – The sharing of wealth to empower others. A koha is a gift given without the expect of anything in return.

“Manaakitanga” – Co-operation and equity through networking and sharing of all resources

“Whanaungatanga” – Working together

“Kotahitnga” – the unity and interconnectedness of all things

“Uakaipoo” – A personal place that specifically makes an individual feel aligned with the spirit of mother nature

“Turangawaewae” – A place to stand, a home and a community

“Noa” – To bring back to earth, make normal again, grounding

“Tapu” – Sacred and spiritually connected

“Tikanga” – Indigenous wisdom as everyday practice

 

Food forests are perennial systems that are full of diversity, with each element serving multiple purposes.

Parts of the system all provide one of seven major things, according to Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier, authors of Edible Forest Gardens.

• food
• fuel
• fiber
• fodder
• fertilizer
• “F”armaceuticals
• fun

Food forests doesn’t necessarily mean gardening in a forest, it means gardening like a forest. Using layers and stacking in space and time to optimize space, creating permanent systems that don’t require heavy human interference, building and protecting the soil, are just some of the reasons why food forests are so efficient. Just take a look at forest ecosystems- they are some of the most resilient and regenerative systems in the world.

There are typically 7 layers in a forest system, creating a staircase of useful variety.

1. Rhizosphere. Root and shade tolerant crops.
2. Groundcover. Low growing plants, logs, cover crops, and decaying debris
3. Herbaceous. Vegetables, herbs, green plants without persistent woody stems
4. Shrub. Small to medium sized woody plants such as berries
5. Sub-Canopy. Shade tolerant dwarf trees and large shrubs
6. Canopy. Fruit, nut, and timber trees
7. Vertical. Plants that grow on the sides of trees and shrubs, like vines and runner beans

All of these layers combine into a network connected by their roots fungi, and exchange nutrients with each other. An established system will just keep on flourishing with little work required. Incorporating as many different species in this wild system allows a safe-bet that there will be multiple food harvests throughout the year, deters and confuses pests who can’t simply go from plant to plant attacking things, attracts beneficial insects with its color and smells, and conditions the land.

 

 

Inna, a friend of Robina’s in the community, led us through some work called Deep Ecology.

It is really almost impossible to explain, as it is quite experiential. We went through community building exercises and got to share things about the hardships we have seen and felt, as well as share the joys of our lifetimes, what gives us spirit and life.

The point of the workshop was to give us time to feel intensely. So often we hear devastating or overwhelming news and can’t comprehend just how big it is, so our emotions get stuffed down deep inside and we don’t allow time to cry and talk about it with one another. Lots of emotions came up for everybody on the course, and we were able to work through them together and come out feeling a little bit more resolved. It truly gave us the chance to be glued together as a family, and I hope to cherish the close friends that I’ve made for the rest of my life.

Joanna Macy is the mother of this work, and one of her mantras is “How dare you be discouraged by anything so trivial like personal failure?” She encourages everyone to seek the individual passion for creating change within themselves, and within the world.

Lots of what I shared is far too intimate to ever post on the internet or discuss with anyone who I don’t know personally. I do want to share a small piece of journaling I did after the long and emotional session. It’s not fine-tuned or perfect because I let the words just vomit on the paper, and I want to leave them like that, a sprawl of my ideas and thoughts rushing onto the paper without judgement.

“Within these challenging, painful realities, my task is to remain hopeful. I must nourish and care for my spirit. I will search to find the brightest lights amongst the darkness. When I find these shining lights, I will support them with all of the energy from soul and channel my passion into strengthening their glow. I will work to make more of these lights, will start the fire in the hearts that have gone cold. I will use my spark and wisdom to ignite hope in them too. I will remain optimistic by balancing out the negative news with the seeking of positive, discovering all of the good that is happening here and now, and seek to create a better future. I will use my desire and determination to develop regenerative projects. I will find new ways to nurture myself, my community, and my home planet. I will work to aid or broken systems, using the principles of ecology, my own ethics and values, and love.”

Most of the course participants stayed after the workshop and journaled, pens scribbling across the paper with speed and motivation. It brought warm tears of healing down the sides of my cheeks to see so many people from all over the world excited about the possibilities for the future. We may live in a commodity-dependent, destructive and disconnected culture, but we have the power to deconstruct these social norms, and it lies within the hearts of all of us. If anyone is feeling lost in life, or just curious about the concept of deep ecology, I strongly suggest looking into it. I plan to further dive into this work as I believe it has much potential for reconnecting people with their inner selves, and has the capability to break down the walls that hold us back.

One of the most important things in permaculture design is intercropping for guilds. Building a guild is like making a small family of plants who get along well together. Plants can be companions if they help each other’s seeds germinate, deter or distract pests from one another, attract beneficial insects or bees to plants that need them, or if they have similair nutrient requirements that allows them to cooperate rather than compete, and to make sense of planting in the right place.

Plants also need to be rotated based on nutrient requirements. A common cycle is:

1. heavy feeders (example: tomato)

2. light feeders (ex: onions)

3. carbon crop (ex: corn) (can be used as food, but also gives gardener carbon material, the stalk in this case, for compost making)

4. green manure (ex: clovers)

   Or:

1. leaf crop (ex: lettuce)

2. Root crop (ex: potatoes)

3. flower (ex: marigolds)

4. cover crop (ex: buckwheat)

5. fruit crop (ex: squash)

It is just important to consider plant families, and where each one came from originally. Get to know each species requirements for best production!

 

Permaculture properties can be split into zones, which are sections that meet criteria in order to save time and be convenient.

Zone zero is the home, where you live, cook, and sleep!

Zone one contains things that need to be or are likely to be visited everyday. Regular-use, higher maintenance vegetables like lettuce or tomatoes, herbs, berries, tool shed, greenhouse, worm farm, relaxation areas, etc. They are directly surrounding the house so you don’t have to be constantly walking across the landscape to get there. Things are planted in tightly knit companion planting guilds with just one or two of each species.

Zone two can hold plants that require less input and attention. Corn, pumpkins, onions, and garlic are some examples. Also, if you wish to plant a large quantity of things (lets say, 50 heads of cabbage) this can go in zone two also as to not overcrowd things. Perennials like rhubarb and asparagus come into play too. Things are planted in larger scale guilds, such as a row of something next to a row of one of its companions, and crop rotation cycles need to be followed wisely.

Zone three is larger systems like orchards and forage areas for chickens, ducks, pigs, or other animals that don’t need too much land.

Zone four is reserved for pastures for sheep, cows, horses, or goats, animals that need wide open spaces.

Zone five is wild territory which is left to its own devices. Here we can observe nature doing its thing!

Sectors are outside forces that affect the property. Sun, wind, fire, water, wildlife, seasonality, and frost all play into what you can plant and where. The key thing is just observation, making sure to spend a full year paying close attention to the land and what its niches are. Microclimates can be identified on a broader scale based on the positions of the sectors, but also in small pockets like the shade behind a tree, tall corn stalk, or a shed creating a cooler environment.

We did our first site analysis and sector/zone mapping at Inna’s house, a lovely woman in the community who came to spend meals with us and taught deep ecology. We walked around her property mapping the sun and shade, wet and dry, and identified principles and niche-filling in action.