My Permaculture Journey so far

I first learned about Permaculture in late Fall of 2013.  I had been interested in aquaponics before then, but didnt know what permaculture was.  I had seen the term permaculture mentioned on posts in reddit.com/r/aquaponics but didnt know what it was all about.  I read a little, and watched some youtube videos, and more and more, it just felt right.

In my garden

During college, I didnt have much of an opinion on politics or activism, and I had no interest in gardening or ecology.  Dont get me wrong, Ive always loved nature, and camping, and wildlife.  But in my youthful ignorance, I felt that the worlds problems could wait until after I finished engineering school (and in all fairness, they did wait).  I didnt have the sense of urgency to action that I feel these days.

Toward the end of school, my friends started composting, and eating healthier, and I noticed, but didnt change my own habits for a good while.  But eventually, I started feeling bad when I didnt recycle in front of them, or if I used excess paper towels.  And eventually I learned more about the world, and I wanted to use my skills and education to make it better, because frankly, the future seems pretty bleak at times.  I started recycling, and turning off the lights more often.  I had grown edible mushrooms in my college years using waste coffee grounds from a coffeehouse near my apartment, and was already very fascinated with fungi.  Then I learned about aquaponics, and that fascinated my engineer mind.

My first aquaponics project

Earthship in North Philly

Id read about earthships online, and even got the opportunity to help build one on an abandonded lot in North Philly.  It was that day working on the earthship that I met a guy who told me was into Permaculture.  I went home and looked up this Permaculture thing, and it was all downhill from there (in the best-possible way, like riding your bike downhill).

At Burning Man in 2013

I had been building art (a friends projects at first, then my own) at the Burning Man Art festival since 2010, and adopted the idea of radical self-reliance (encouraging the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources) and leaving-no-trace.  So, I had already entertained the idea of a possible homestead in my future.  Over the 2013/2014 Winter, I listened to countless podcasts, watched video after video on youtube, and read books and articles all about permaculture.  I had a 3 hour commute every day to listen to podcasts and an hour lunch to read books and articles.  Thats around 4 hours a day studying Permaculture for about 3 months.  I was amassing a good knowledge base, but had little experience outside of my aquaponics projects and my mushroom cultivation years prior.

My apartments windowfarm herb garden made from recycled materials

Rosemary in the Windowfarm

Oyster mushrooms in my kitchen

Lions Mane mushrooms in a homemade fruiting chamber

In Spring 2014, I started a garden in my landlords yard, and convinced him to pay for 2/3rds the initial cost for half the produce in return.  The garden is now supplementing our diets, and giving me fresh ingredients to learn about canning and preserving.  I signed up for a 7-month, one-day-per-month Intensive Organic Gardening class with Ben Weiss, a local Permaculture instructor.  Ive learned a ton, and this has really made me look forward to being able to take a Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC) in the future.  Ive used much of what Ive learned in the class in my own garden.  I tried composting in a bucket.  Then I heard about my friend composting with worms, and had to try that out.  Now Ive got tons of worm castings for the straw bale gardens I just set up.  The straw came from a local farm.  I got a load of mulch from a local tree service.

Learning to use a broadfork for a no-till garden in Ben Weisss 2014 Intensive Organic Gardening Class

Serviceberries (Juneberries) foraged from outside my works office building.  They made a delicious dessert for my family reunion thanks to my girlfriend!

Ive taken wild plant foraging classes with local teachers, and have realized a more symbiotic relationship with nature.  Ive found that my landlords property is filled with edible and medicinal plants like Woodsorrel, Bitter Dock, Lambs Quarter, Feverfew, Violets, Ladys Thumb, Dandelions, Clover, Purslane, and Plantain.  Ive even gotten my landlord to start eating the weeds!  It turns out, the property used to be a chicken farm, and when my landlord moved in, it was covered in grape vines, and berry bushes, and different fruiting trees.  It sounded like a permies wet dream!  He cut everything down except one apple tree, and paved over a large portion of the yard.  Since Ive moved in and started gardening, weve had many conversations about organic gardening and permaculture, and I think he regrets having "cleaned up" the yard all those years ago.  Now, were working to re-create a productive landscape on his property.

Scott Kellogg and Stacey Pettigrews amazing urban farm in Albany, NY

I took a Regenerative Urban Sustainability class at Scott Kellogg and Stacey Pettigrews urban farm in Albany, NY, which was amazing to see all the interconnected, regenerative farm systems.  They were growing mushrooms, keeping chickens, ducks, and rabbits, gardening organically, maintaining large aquaponic systems, composting, and utilizing many other permaculture systems.  From that workshop, I brought home some Stropharia (Garden Giant) mushroom spawn to introduce to my woodchips in the garden.  Im nearly finished the second herb spiral Ive built, and I have two more planned for community gardens that I volunteer at.

My first herb spiral, at my parents house in Delaware

My second herb spiral, it just needs plants!

The point of this post isnt to brag about how much fun Im having learning and practicing permaculture.  The point is that, you dont need to be in an ideal situation to make your situation work for you while reducing your footprint, and increasing your handprint.  Large changes require small steps.  I try one or two new things out at a time.  This allows me to focus on getting it right, without taking up excess energy and time and becoming a chore.  Ive done my best to cut out distractions like mindless TV and video games.  I try to keep track of my projects and keep notes as a citizen scientist.  I dont have any formal schooling in permaculture or ecology, but experience is the best teacher, and I believe that with dedication, anyone can teach themself to become an expert at almost anything.

My most recent garden update

Ive got a number of things working against me right now.  I dont own land, I rent.  I have a 3 hour commute every day.  I dont know that much about gardening.  I dont have all the skills that I want.  But, Im using permaculture design and ideas in my every day life, regardless of my situation.  I have friends who do container gardens on their balconies, and they compost, and thats all that they can do at the moment, but thats better than nothing.  My first aquaponic system wouldnt even fit in my apartment, so I asked a friend if I could put it in his bedroom.  My next aquaponic system was in my second floor apartment with a WindowFarm and a 5 gallon water cooler tank as the fish resevoir.  When I moved to Trenton, NJ, I volunteered at a community garden and met some new artist friends with a studio and space for my next aquaponic system (currently under construction).  Through working with these new friends, Ive potentially got a space and all the supplies needed for a large-scale, multiple IBC tank system that weve just begun to work on.  Ive also helped out with their community improvement efforts through guerilla gardening on Saturday mornings.

Guerilla Gardening in Trenton, NJ

My largest, system to date is a single IBC-tank system in Delaware at my parents house.  Space is a huge limitation for me, but Ive used my network of friends and family to find space to practice my passion.

My IBC Aquaponics in Delaware

One of the most important lessons Ive learned in life is to never limit yourself.  There are enough circumstances in life to hold you back, dont let your own fears and insecurities prevent you from following your dreams.  The more you explore and learn about how to live a more harmoneous and regenerative life, the more you can create the world you want.  Prioritize the things that make you happy and fulfilled.  Focus on whats important to you, and cut out the excess.  If I can do it, so can you.  One step at a time.

Advice from one of my heros

This post was inspired by the 7 July 2014 episode of The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann.

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A Bridge Too Far

There is no doubt that the Garden Bridge is causing a lot of discussion across all the social media channels and in the press and that there are a lot of people who believe either that it is a wonderfull thing and equally many who disagree.
When I first heard about it I was thrilled too. Mooted as Londons equivalent of New Yorks High Line it sounded like a really innovative and exciting project that could change the way green space is used in London and be an example to other cities both in the UK and worldwide.
Cities are booming, and by 2050 its estimated that 70% of the UK population will live in an urban area. All around the country cities are addressing how they will manage their green spaces. Visiting Sheffield recently I was lucky enough to visit 2 extraordinarily inspiring projects, The Green Estate and Heeley Park, both of which made me really think about how good design and support for areas that historically have struggled in various ways, is vital in the way we tranform inner city green spaces. These are projects that have changed lives and seen areas with historic problems change themselves through enterprise brought about through good use of the land. I myself am currently working on an inner city project in Bristols Bearpit roundabout, which is a sunken space in the centre of the city that historically has problems with anti social behaviour, to green the space in a way that will bring an oasis of tranquility to an area that will also be a central hub with food businesses  and a vibrant market as well as lots of thought provoking urban art, bringing an unloved and fairly frightening place back into a space that encourages it to be used by all.
These examples, and there are many more, of cutting edge design mixed with the importance of social outcomes are vital if we are to see our cities prosper and the citizens living in them lead healthy lives. Green space is vital for all and it is those that are most vulnerable and for whom getting out into anything that is at all nature like, who often find accessing it the most difficult. For horticulture within cities to be taken seriously, and city councils to see the importance of this in areas of socio economic deprivation and indeed invest in it, any project taking place in the public sphere must have some need for a good social outcome, and for it to effect positive change within the community it is being placed.
At this point I also think its worth talking a little about New Yorks High Line, which began as a project that came about through a group of people, now The Friends of the High Line, coming together and finding the space, getting the necessary permissions and bringing the project to fruition. The friends of the High Line are still very much involved in the project and its worth looking at their website to seee the story of the project as well as the history of the space itself. Their website can be found at www.thehighline.org.
There is no doubt that cities and the way urban greening is being addressed is changing and so I really thought the idea of a new bridge that could be accessed by all and was green in all conotations of the word was wonderful, until I started to hear concerns. The construction of the bridge will mean an area of green space along with 30 mature trees will be lost, at a time when the tree canopy of cities is being looked at and all cities are being encouraged to increase them. Mature trees support a diverse cross section of wildlife and planting new trees nearly doesnt mean that wildlife will remain in the area. The area of planting is apparently only going to be the size of half a football pitch, which makes me wonder what the rest will be used for, and it wont be open to all, 24/7, but be on a timed ticket as it is expected to be so oversubscribed. Apparently this ticket will be free but I wonder who will pay the admin cost? And it is questionable that cyclists will have access to it, or that it will even be used as a bridge in the sense that it will enable people to cross the water from one side to the other as quickly as if the river wasnt there. It will also be closed one day per month for private functions.
However my biggest problem is the fact that £60 million of public money is set to be used for this and it appears that public consultation has been at a minimum. Effectively this is a vanity project, being put into a space where already there are questions over its suitability, that is not there for the people of London or the local area, but for tourists to visit. This is nothing to do with good urban planning or biodiversity, but all about bringing in the tourist dollar. And we are spending public money to do this whilst we have people regularly accessing food banks, more children accessing free school meals than ever before and are still set to see further cuts in public funding going into the future.
With some of Londons inner city boroughs being the most deprived areas of the UK, I question how this is acceptable. Half of the money is from Transport for London and I am quite convinced that £30million could go towards greening stations if it is money allocated to that, making them safer, kinder spaces.
So here is my main question. What are this projects social outcomes? How is it commited to the community in which it will sit? Where is the public consultation that we should all be able to access?
If in Bristol, when we embark on a new project we have to knock on neighbouring doors, ensure we have a questionnaire that is acceptable for that area and be positive that we can answer any questions with a positive spin, as well as then going through a thorough council assessment with their environmental/allotment/park and gardens departments, what has been the relevant consultation undertaken for this?
At this point I would like to say its not too late to change all these things. The building of the bridge and the planting and landscaping could be undertaken by local people, giving them new skills, introducing them to horticulture and construction and giving them a sense of ownership. It would still be a beautifully designed space, but one that had given local people a helping hand. It can be maintained by volunteers from the local community who would talk about it with visitors as only someone can who is deeply and emotionally at one with a garden project. It could become inclusive.
I finish with a horrifying statistic. The projected cost of the bridge, in all, is approx £175million. If each of Londons 32 boroughs were to share that money between them it would equate to the possibilty of there being 53 community projects in each borough, each with £100,000 to spend.
Now that would have seriously good social outcomes.....

 Both of these photos are of Sheffields Green Estate where they have taken parkland and unloved green spaces and encouraged community enterprise through learning. This place goes beyond the extraordinary and should be held up as an example of what cutting edge urban greening and design can do to change communities.

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Herb Spiral in West Philly Community Garden

Over the past two weekends I spent some time building an herb spiral at a community garden at 37th and Brown St in West Philadelphia.  All the bricks were found in the surrounding neighborhood, and the soil from the Philadelphia Horticultural Society Community Garden next door.  This little garden is maintained by Growing Home, a non-profit organization trying to empower communities to grow their own food on the unused land in their neighborhoods.  This herb spiral was built entirly for free with reclaimed or donated materials.  Everything besides the corn was seeded, since we didnt have transplants available.  Hopefully in a few weeks Ill stop back and see how its doing.  Check out the photos!

After the first day.

Alex and Elissa from Growing Home

Corn Planted!

Heres the seeds that we planted

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Why Im an allotmenteer

Generally I dont make these posts directly about me but on Monday something will start to happen that is, to me, beyond belief, and so I thought Id try to put into words what my allotment means to me. And why.

Ive grown on various allotments since childhood. The seasonal processes of looking after the land, feeding it, digging and weeding it and growing food on it is part of who I am. And its not just because I love growing and eating fresh, local, organic food, although obviously that us part of it.

Working the land grounds you. It soothes the soul and allows you to slow down, to feel the seasons in all their beauty and in all their extremes. Being in the plot on a really windy day listening to the trees creaking brings the realisation of how we are, and always will be, in natures hands. Feeling the soil, working it gently and caring for it in a way that you know will bring it into maximum fertility, slows you down and forces the ears and eyes to hear and see what your hands are feeling and your brain to process that in a way that makes you think about the seasons, about past experiences. The turning of the seasons, the seasonal produce and the repetition of all these things whilst looking after and caring for that land is a powerful thing and one that as the seasons and the years pass, we realise we only know a tiny amount about. 

Sitting on the plot on a perfect summers day, listening to birdsong, watching the clouds as they pass, sowing seeds, potting plants on all with the heat of the sun on the back feels like a gentle caress. Talking to allotment neighbours, swapping plants and produce brings community to life. But even winter digging when the robin appears with every turned doc, looking for worms, makes you feel like someone or something powerful is pushing you on, willing you to succeed.

Working the land soothes the soul. We know that there is a compound in soil that raises seratonin levels, meaning that anyone suffering from low mood genuinely will be helped by working the land. Horticultural therapy works, and mixed with the sense of community on a site raises the spirits. Good food, good company and a natural antidepressant has saved people from despair.

And yet, as Monday approaches all of this is put into jeopardy. Trees that are wonderful for nesting birds and wildlife are bring felled as the horrors of a bus route that will cut 3 minutes off a journey, as long as traffic is clear, comes to life. 

The sadness I feel today is beyond explanation. 

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