What is Permaculture?

"Permaculture, a design system that reconciles human communities with the ecological imperatives of a living planet." - Ben Haggard

"Permaculture is revolution disguised as gardening." - Mike Feingold

The word "Permaculture" was first coined in the 1970's by Bill Mollison and his student David Holmgren. It comes from a contraction of "permanent agriculture," referring to the methods of sustainable agriculture Mollison and Holmgren were developing in the Australian drylands. They observed and interacted with nature, guided by the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and the emerging science of ecology and systems theory. They developed a set of principles, techniques and strategies that formed the core of Permaculture.

Over the next 20 years, Permaculture spread throughout the world under the guidance of Bill Mollison, David Holmgren, and their students. Avid farmers and gardeners have adapted it to their own unique local conditions, utilizing Permaculture to design everything from backyard gardens to whole communities and eco-villages.