PDC Day 3: Patterns

This class was all about flow: us flowing from space to space, the rain flowing from the sky, and the observation of the flow of patterns.

We first had a delicious brunch at Ethical Kitchen in North Vancouver. I had been to this lovely spot before and remembered purchasing a delicious home-brewed lavender soda, but I'm surprised that I didn't know more about it. I'm sure glad to have rediscovered this ethical eatery right in my own neighbourhood! Delvin introduced us to the topic of the day and we played a neat pattern recognition game. It was fun placing different images in categories like "spiral", "scatter", "streamline", "circle within circle" and Bill Mollison's own "overbeck jet". It made everyone realize how much the same patterns are repeated on different scales in nature. Delvin went over some more maps as we chowed down on eggs, salad, sauerkraut, and guzzled kombucha, and then we were off!

A circle within a circle! Photo: Lucie Bardos

The first stop of the day was Loutet Farm - once again in North Vancouver! This farm is located on an old landfill site, which was previously covered by underutilized parkland. Some creative minds decided to collaborate and create this functional organic farm that brings local veggies to many neighbours! Delvin told us to try and spot the differences between this place and the Permaculture garden we would visit later that day.

 

Soil building at Loutet Farm. Photo: Lucie Bardos

The next stop was Strathcona Community Garden off Strathcona park. It was an amazing oasis in the city and the real fun was observing the different gardening styles people used when tending to their plots. Some plots were a giant tangle of flowers, other neat rows of lettuces, others used sculptural and artistic accents - it was really all over the board!

Flowers at Strathcona Community Garden.
Photo: Lucie Bardos

Neat beds next to a more liberal gardening approach.
Photo: Lucie Bardos

What patterns do you see? Web, scatter, lobes, star....  Photo: Lucie Bardos

The final and most beautiful garden was across the park: Cottonwood Community Garden. This garden was designed according to Permaculture principles and it was definitely visible! Everything seemed to flow together and I was able to spot many Permaculture elements from intensive vegetable beds to orchard/managed woodland. I was definitely able to note the differences between this place and Loutet. While Loutet used straight lines, domed greenhouses and had a lot of exposed soil, Cottonwood has very little exposed soil and very few straight lines! Comfrey was growing all over the place there and Delvin explained how the greenhouse made excellent use of the available sunlight by having a thick heat-storing north wall, a sloping South-facing wall, and thick insulated glass.

The greenhouse at Cottonwood Community Garden. Photo: Lucie Bardos

For the last talk of the day we huddled in a bamboo grove then sped off to the Homesteaders Emporium where visiting teacher Kimchi led a fun lesson/activity on addressing destructive patterns/problems such as lack of time, GMO's, and poverty by utilizing Permaculture principles. I really loved how she brought us into the realm of social Permaculture as this is a topic that I am really interested in. In general, I really love the fact that you can apply Permaculture to any aspect of life: business, economics, the home, social studies, art.... everything!

Looks like next class will be back on the Sunshine Coast to talk about soil: can't wait! I read a great quote from Toby Hemenway today "...soil is miraculous. It is where the dead are brought back to life." Take a second to think about that. It's pretty amazing on a scientific and spiritual level, ain't it?!

PDC Day 2: Permaculture Design Methods

Day 2: Permaculture Design Methods

This month's course date seemed to take forever to come around! It took place on the last day of the month but it was well worth the wait! This month we were at Country Haven in Wilson Creek on the Sunshine Coast - another fantastic day!

 

The zone "4.5" forest on Billy's permaculture farm. Photo: Lucie Bardos

Billy and his family own Country Haven, a 5-acre property designed according to the very Permaculture principles we were there to learn about. We saw how they integrated the different Permaculture zones according to intensity of cultivation, distance from the house, and frequency of visits. We learned that zone 00 was the SELF. As Delvin so brilliantly put it: "that's where you are ALL THE TIME!" Zone 0 is the main house or the place you spend most of your time, zone 1 is the doorstep - the most intensive cultivation happens here, zone 2 is the yard or orchard, zone 3 is the farm, zone 4 the managed woodland (and space for careful observation of nature's patterns), and finally, zone 5 is the wild - protected from human activity and influence and rarely visited.

 

Zone 3, The Farm. Photo: Lucie Bardos

I always feel that while we learn so much during each of our monthly workshops the flow of knowledge seems so effortless and is mingled with enough fun playtime that it doesn't feel like a course at all. That's right, FUN PLAYTIME! I feel like we can all be children again during our workshops: marvelling at nature, asking hundred's of questions, making food together, laughing... it's great!

Billy's cob oven, photo: Lucie Bardos

This month we were treated to cob oven pizzas fresh from Billy's backyard cob oven, built so well that it holds heat for up to a day once the coals have been removed! We worked together dressing the pizzas, which looked like works of art at the end. What a great treat!

Cob oven pizzas! photo Lucie Bardos

We also visited an old ecovillage project behind Billy's property. It was a project that got started, but due to poor planning was left abandoned and we were able to see the layers of natural succession enfolding before our eyes on the property. Geoff Lawton says that in Permaculture you are more likely to spend 100 hours thinking and 1 hour doing meaningful work, rather than spending 1 hour thinking followed by 100 hours of non-meaningful work, as tends to happen far too often. You can subscribe to free Permaculture videos by Geoff at www.geofflawton.com.

Well, next month we will start off in North Vancouver so we'll be right close to home for Victor and I! Can't wait!