Journey into Permaculture

Welcome to Journey into Permaculture!

We explore the genius, the innovation, and the resilience that is so particular to permaculture - in our backyard, and around the world.

Creating a permaculture minded homestead can be a challenge without a mentor. Go on a Journey into Permaculture every week with your guide, Vinson Corbo, permaculture enthusiast and entrepreneur, as he shares inspirational stories, books, tools, tactics, including interviews of permaculture authors, enthusiasts, influencers, and scholars. Explore in design, creation, & inspiration. Join the experience that will help you excel your endeavors in sustainability and permaculture.

This podcast is for all the homesteaders, DIYers, off grid, conservation minded, farming, gardening, teachers, and activists of sustainable movements. Those just beginning your homestead, a more independent and self-reliant life journey, or already going down the path of permaculture, this program has something for all walks of experience.

Exclusive content only on Patreon. We also have affiliate marketing links that support the show. Thanks for supporting Journey into Permaculture!

Have you checked out our website JourneyintoPermaculture.com? Go ahead and take a look! The webpage with all of our episodes and social media links also features a 2 acre hugelkultur farm that I made from scratch with the landowners. There are many benefits that hugelkultur methods provide for raised bed farming. One benefit from burying the downed trees after clearing the land to start the farm, the tree's wood are used in the long-term plans, which they provide nutrients for the plants grown in the beds. These 'hugels' offer more benefits that I can explain in one of our full episodes. This sustainable agriculture method may be a great addition to your permaculture design. The land is also slightly graded to allow water to fill up the pond naturally, and this farm produces everything that you would think a farm cultivates. I can't wait to grow with you as we Journey into Permaculture!

Thanks for liking the podcast on the facebook page! We've a twitter profile also @Jpermaculture. If there's anything you liked about this episode, write to us via fb or twitter and I'll make sure to give a shoutout on a future episode. Also, take a look at our shop, there are a handful of permaculture related items, if you purchase anything, it will directly support this show.

This is my first raised bed garden update from early-spring to mid-summer. I considered it a failure, but it would only be considered a failure if I give up, which I don't plan on doing. I will continue to sow seeds for the rest of the season and take this as a learning season.

I had a low germination rate, and a lot of seeds germinated, but didn't grow more than the cotyledons. They were stunted and some were yellowing as well. The leaf compost I bought from a local garden center may not be the best material as the yellowing and stunted growth point to nutrient deficiencies. The material may be composting still, which ties up nutrients, but next time I will get a different product my local garden center offers called "ori-grow". My garden only gets 5-6 hours of direct sunlight, so I expected some slow growth, but not this slow. This spring began perfectly, however, the over 90+ degree days for 37 days in a row have made the early-spring crops bolt.

Some plants did germinate and provide a harvest, which I'm still harvesting. Since most bolted, I don't have much to harvest, but now I will have more seeds to plant for next year. The plants will drop seed into the seed bank in my garden, and I will collect some to sow next year as well. A market gardener would rip out plants that have bolted as they won't make the leaf growth desired to harvest and sell at a market. I prefer the seeds so I have to work less in the future.

I also had volunteer plants in my garden, where I mostly kept. They help balance the ecosystem around the garden. In my case, the Japanese beetle was more attracted to plants that are considered weeds instead of the plants I wanted to harvest. They really liked the raspberries, but the beetles munched on amaranth and Virginia creeper instead.

Thanks for following JiP on facebook, twitter, and joining our email list!

Now that we've a few episodes posted and tons of listens around the world, tweet to us on Twitter @JPermaculture share your favorite episode. I'll give you a shout out in a future episode!

This episode covers zone and sector analysis in a permaculture planed design is based on the Permaculture Desingers' Manual by Bill Mollison. Every plan uses zone analysis. The purpose of considering zone and sector analysis, it is primarily every-preserving for the whole site. Each component that needs more time and energy should be placed closer to the home, or zone 0. Each zone considers management of how to capture energy that is passing through the site as well, including; water, sun, wind, or even fire.

Each zone is a circle, and each circle is larger from the center.

Zone 0 (the house or the village)

This zone considers good house design. A greenhouse or glasshouse can be incorporated on the south side. Other considerations include earth-building one's home with a thatch roof, sod roof, or roof garden. While this building method can outlast modern building, it is not legally allowed in most locations. Growing components will be made of natural material and will eventually degrade, like bamboo for trellises to guide vining plants. Don't let vining plants take onto the sides of the house, which will create premature degradation and expensive to replace. Companion animals will be found in the home, although avoiding the idea of having a pet, the animal should serve a purpose within the design plan.

Zone 1

This is the most frequently visited zone and located right outside of the home, and is within 20 feet. This space has complex techniques that most arranges nature to suit out needs. The space is fully mulched and frequently worked with annual plantings that are replaced frequently for consistent harvest to serve the kitchen. Culinary herbs are also grown nearest the home to best support use in the kitchen. Chicken laying boxes will be found in this zone, but their run could be found in zone 2. In the home garden, seedlings and young trees are prepared and grown for outer zones. Mother trees may also be tended and used for grafting and cloning methods. Other animals included in this zone include fish, rabbits, guinea pigs for food production. You'll have water catchment tanks that are collected from the home's roof to be preserved and used within this zone.

Zone 2

This is less intensively managed compared to zone 1. Growing spaces will still be present, but with a focus on perennial growth instead of annual growth. Trees within an orchard or food forest will be spot mulched. Larger animals will be found here, or their shelter is located in zone 2 while their range is in zone 3. The larger animals include cows, goats, pigs, and sheep. Smaller structures will be placed here such as ponds, hedges and terraces.

Zone 3

This is the 'farm zone' where commercial crops and animals are used for sale or trade. Soil conditioning comes from zone 2. Trees are naturally growing, or little pruned in inter-planted orchards.

Zone 4

This zone is managed for wild food gathering. Plants are selected based on their volunteer and natural habitat. Wild foraging include wood gathering for wood stove fuel. Extended pasture or range will be available to larger animals. Hedge rows are used to manage the microclimate, which impacts the inner zones. Wind energy may be used to life water out of dams to irrigate the inner zone 3.

Zone 5

This is an unmanaged zone, kept wild and use for observation and meditation on the natural space. This zone is used to continue to learn the rules of nature that are present relative to the site in this zone.

The Permaculture A Designers' Manual by Bill Mollison is the most in-depth resource in permaculture design, and best for those deeply committed to the implementation and understanding of the movement. Join me as I explain every chapter briefly.

While the book is in-depth, it offers everything a designer needs. It's not an easy read cover-to-cover, but more of an essential manual to understand the workings of each part of permaculture and how they work together to make the concept function properly in your area.

The Permaculture Designers Manual (Available in print only)