What a first week we had at Haiku Aina Permaculture Initiative! We were blessed to receive a true Hawaiian welcome from Kaleh, who shared his understanding of Hawaiian culture with us. We wasted no time this week, jumping right into the principles of permaculture on Day 1! We talked about the principles of permaculture: Care of the earth, care for people, share the surplus, and care for the future.
We talked about some ways to live large on a small imprint. We harvested sugar cane juice, bananas, taro, bele, kalo, cassava, turmeric, and durian; just to name a few. We performed skits to demonstrate the principles of permaculture, and came to understand just how interwoven they are!
Jenny and Evan gave a great lecture on how to find work in permaculture, and where to find funding. I had been thinking about taking the grant writing class at Evergreen, but now I’m sure I’m going to take it. I have discovered a new passion already, and will be working towards a career in affecting policy change across the larger agricultural industry.
The core principles of permaculture are:
- Observe and Interact
- Catch and Store Energy
- Obtain a Yield
- Apply Self Regulation and Accept Feedback
- Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services
- Produce NO Waste
- Design from pattern to details
- Integrate rather than segregate
- Use Small and Slow Solutions
- Use and Value Diversity
- Use Edges and Value the Marginal
- Creatively Use and Respond to Change
- For Every Element, there are Many Functions
- For Every Function, there are Many Elements
Live with Aloha Aina!