Seeds of Permaculture
One of the reasons for shooting this film is the global climate change. All around the world, as you know, places are experiencing odd weather events.
All around the world, whether you're in South America, in North America, in Europe, in Asia, people are experiencing weather patterns that are out of the norm.
So, one of the reasons that permaculture is getting so popular right now, growing faster than ever before, on an exponential curve of growth, is because our planet needs it. It's time for the important changes that permaculture has to give.
People are becoming less and less self-sufficient around the world, these local communities that were previously growing everything themselves and knew how to build their own houses out of natural materials are completely dependent on big foreign powers and import from other countries.
One of the challenges that permaculture has out in front of it is proving to the world that it can be a viable form of profitable agriculture. Through the development of a master plan for your site or your project, it's possible to really lay out enhancement strategies that make it more likely that you and your project can become profitable.
One of the most important aspects to the ecological farm is the making of compost, about improving the soil, and constantly bringing more organic matter and more life into the soil. The compost production process is actually really easy. It's accessible to anyone, it doesn't take expensive parts, and it doesn't take that much space. All you need are several simple ingredients, and those ingredients can come from any number of sources.
Ultimately with the master plan, what we're looking for is to achieve our holistic goals. We want the economics of the site to be in line, we want the ecology of the site to be continuously improving, and we want the personal needs of the residents there to be met.
horrible music.....so sad, it's not necessary
The beginning of this film talks about climate change and unexpected climate/weather at the wrong times of the year. Before there can be a discussion of climate, there needs to be a discussion of climate engineering, deliberate and wide scale human manipulation of the planet using aerosols and frequency transmitters, such as HAARP. Weather made to order by those who now control the weather for the purposes of those who control the weather. The website has a wealth of information about climate engineering and the devastating effects trying to control/influence climate and weather systems are having on all life on earth.
@a_no_n: I fear this is wasted effort due to the fact that some people cannot or refuse to learn fact from fiction, even with resources such as this website at their finger tips. Watch "The World According to Monsanto" and other documentaries on this website which "could" educate you about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
GMO, ever since coined and used in the past number of decades, since I have been alive, has always meant Frankenfood (from Frankenstein), an apt nickname.
For example, one of the first was GMO corn. They bred it to withstand "RoundUp"(Glyphosate) an herbicide Monsanto pushes to clear the fields prior to planting your desired Monsanto crop. Then they bred insecticide into it so it produces its own. Eats the guts out of the Corn Bore insect which infests monoculture corn crops over vast acreages. What does GMO corn do to you? Ever wonder where the increase in Leaky Gut Syndrome comes from? And why non-organic corn fed meat is bad for you? I do welcome you to eat as much GMO food as you can stuff down, if you think it is more "efficient".
Monsanto has been efficiently wiping out good crops with its GMO crops. Talk to the people from India and ask them what they think of GMO and Monsanto. They fell for the BS too. If they could have afforded to keep buying the GMO seed from Monsanto who didn't tell them the corn seed produced from their GMO will not Reproduce, they would have found out in a number of years, about 10 or so, that their crop will be stunted from all the Glyphosate in the soil any way. And that they would need additionally expensive remedies.
Further, GMO crops, like many commercial crops, don't contain the nutrition you need to remain healthy. They are grown with the minimum necessary to make the plant look good but not be good for you.
I know lots of smaller-ish towns which provide open land for people to have a garden. How many farmers with unused land would allow a gardener using good soil improvement practices to garden on part of it for some of the harvest? Some would, some wouldn't. A person has to think about the farmer and give him a release of liability should anything happen to them while on his farm. Even then a number of farmers wouldn't want to be bothered with the annoyance unless they really liked you. I find it difficult that people with a bad attitude of the world owes them a piece of land would get very far.
An organic farmer next to a small cattle rancher I know, trades him a subscription of produce for some of his organic cow manure. Win - win.
If the Permaculture folks don't pay attention to a real cause of Global Climate Warming or Climate Change, which is man made Weather Modification via Chemtrails and HAARP high powered antenna arrays such as in Alaska and a number of other locations, their efforts will be wasted since the nano-ized metals used Aluminum, Barium, and Strontium will eventually ruin their soil.
Racism? Hogwash. Many who think they have something better pushes it, regardless of race.
All I can suggest is go to a school that isn't run by racist socialist progressive communists and you will have a much better life and attitude.
@Ryan: Find an old dictionary or encyclopedia with has drawings of the 16 different human stomach types (known so far at the time anyway). You can see the difference between a person designed more to eat meat and one more designed to eat vegetation. And of course various combination of in between.
If you're old and can't work in the fields, you can still move animals! It's a traditional job for elderly anyways. Look up Joel Salatin. It's a much better model of farming I think, and I come from a background of premature. Especially because I don't believe plants are healthy for people.
Wow! Khap khun khrap! (thank you!) I live in north Thailand by Mae Sai. Your video further inspires me to continue planning and implementing a eco self sufficient system and lifestyle; even on a small property with a small house - or even an apartment - one can live a healthy, earth friendly, and cheap lifestyle - step by step, learning as we go and share. ZACHY - these good people are farmers and teachers, not cinemetographers (and free), for the beginner, it is a well made film. KANSAS and MANNI - gardening is healthy for old people and good therapy (for anybody!)... should we give old people a television to watch Judge Judy all day or would a weeding some herbs and flowers amongst the singing birds be a more appropriate, joyful way to age? This is a wonderful activity for little kids, you, me, and old people... anybody. Good luck and enjoy everybody!
Soylent green about is what they hope permaculture is all about.
I dont quite understand many of the comments here - but im guessing that permaculture might be as difficult for people to relate too as climate change - because everyone believes to be an expert but in fact has very little deeper knowledge/experience on the subject. also what is really special about permaculture is the wholistic core of it, in a modern world of very specialized people the completed image might be lost. show this to a 7 year younger version of me, and i surely wouldnt get it at that point.. show it to me now and it works not so much as new knowledge but more as a further encouragement and pad on the back. Also i can understand why this can also be a bit threatening/provoking to people.. because the lesson is; yes most of us are currently doing it wrong, and yes change is essential, its big stuff underneath lessons of compost and toilets. and then there is the commercial aspect, i can understand why the producers of the film would focus so much on thailand... but for most it might be just a bit to exotic.
Music is too loud!!! i gave up trying to watch it. i'm moving on.
This was both too specific and not specific enough. It did a bad job talking about permaculture in general and a bad job talking about projects specifically. That said it was well shot and edited. More of an inspiration video for someone already sold on the idea of permaculture.
Beautiful and inspiring film touching on many elements of permaculture. A genuine, happy and healthy group of people working on positive changes. Don't quite understand the comments below, they weren't trying to teach locals how to farm at all, in fact they were inspired by the locals food forest and clearly having a good relationship with them. If you're interested in permaculture, this is a good one to watch!
A weird movie to say the least.
It started out about climate change. Then it started talking about making compost. That part was interesting since it talked about adding Nitrogen, which was totally ignore in what I had previously read on the subject. Next, there was a diatribe on Hippies living in Thailand, which was totally weird for me to comprehend.
That progressed into a long Thai diatribe about who knows what. Believe it or not, but I am NOT remotely fluent in Thai. So, that is when I gave up on this weird movie, or at around the 43 minute mark.
BORING!!! There wasn't anything in here (not that I could actually stand to watch all of it) that I didn't learn at my old local co-op grocery.
And arrogant too. Let's watch how the hip young white folk teach the Thais how to farm. Jeez Maleez...
the futures on its way. and its looking a lot like the past... who'd av thunk it? this to me is a real breath of fresh air and a beautiful, truly organic bit of film-making. i live in a normal, urban, northern town in england and am trying to begin spreading this kind of message to my own community starting with a 6 x 10ft patch of land in front of my house. so far i have dug up 3 bushes and am researching what to plant :-/ but watch this space :-)
There is one thing that I find annoying in this vid: the music is too loud and becomes a nuisance. It also makes it hard to hear what people are saying and that is in fact the means of getting the story across. Lower the sound of the music, please!
i think it's worth noting that people in the world are getting less and less sufficient because more and more of them are getting poorer.
Poor people, arguably the people most in need of this kind of thing, are priced out of it because things like yards and gardens are unobtainable luxuries.
Also what about the actual long term local ecological effects of what is happening here? presumably everything that used to call those fields and orchards home are now considered pests and are hounded away...that's never good for an ecosystem or anywhere surrounding it.
For what? so that other middle class hipsters can have extra tomatoes that they could probably afford anyway if they have that much land in their name. If done in large enough numbers it'll drop demand for food and push up the prices for the poor who actually need the fresh food, but already can't afford it.
Organic farming is anywhere up to 25% less efficient than modern farming methods...GM crops promises to add to that efficiency. By mass farming organicly you're taking a massive step backward...like tossing away an smooth iron plow for the sake of going back to that jagged old bronze one.
Land is a precious commodity, and we're having to share it with more and more people as the population of our species grows. To be honest it irks me seeing well off middle class hipsters ignorantly causing problems under the self serving misinformed guise of saving the world.
I'm not saying people shouldn't grow their own food, or that the documentary doesn't have good advice, but what these people are doing is wrong! Growing our own food is something we should all be able to do...but when I say all I mean ALL, as in poor people deserve to be able to do it too, and they can't due to the lack of land availability...So whilst this experience might make a few people feel REALLY good about themselves, little by little it's screwing over everyone else and continuing to filter food into the hands of fewer and fewer people.
I also love the frankly racist overtones...that the simple savage natives need to be shown by the handsome civilised white man on how best to live their lives. because they just can't do it right by themselves.
I didn't read between the lines of Permie. And saw no overtones. I am unfamiliar with anyone suggesting the species s.natives however I would say concisely that some generations (regardless of race) have not be properly educated in this skill. But I may have not been at the beginning of some dialogue. I venture to go on my way.
excellent; all these examples can be used to improve soils and production in the Northern Hemisphere as well. Our fruits and some veg will be different of course. Add a small greenhouse.some raised garden beds, use dwarf tree or shrub varieties (or keep them trimmed), and any age can garden in comfort. I think this is our best hope for food security.
FOOD FOREST! That is it , that is exactly what I am trying to do on 10 acres, just didn't really have a name, just a concept in my mind,
Awesome name. I also like Edible Forest, Edible Acres.
My relatives live in Sri Lanka and every one of them has a yard abundantly provisioned with food bearing plants and trees that can help them towards self-provisioning. But I would suggest that it is not a large challenge for them, because with the climate they have, stuff just grows. A more realistic and useful challenge would be for all those American and European permaculturists to work towards solving the problems of sustainable self-provisioning and community provisioning in temperate, northern climates.
I would love to see a follow-on documentary about how, for example, our pre-industrial revolution ancestors provided sustainably for their communities. I accept that the answers were very different in North America and in Europe. since the common people in Europe had to work with the constraints of the Norman and similar feudal land grabs.
Great comment! Totally agree, it is about reclaiming the commons. Certainly we need more of that in Europe and North America but the good news is that it is growing and their are many initiatives on the rise.
Aaaaah ... there's nothing like a nice shiny piece of hope after a hard day wondering what the hell is the point of your life. Grrrrrrrr.
veganic permaculture is the best
It is for us vegans. Not necessarily for everyone else.
Permaculture... Growing people, because nature already knows what its doing.
You could probably copyright that. If you don't then it's mine :)
Open licence, be sure to give credit :P
It's the kind of license worth respecting so of course I will. :)
That's a fun little tune at the end.
Still, did you notice no one was very old? Permaculture is not well suited to old people. It's an idea from the old days when people died before they got too old to be of any use.
Yeah, I agree that the actual process is one for young fit people. Any kind of manual labour is difficult in old age but I'm not so keen on the idea of people being too old to be of any use! I think that perception is what leads to the neglect of the elderly (and shoving them in old people's homes is neglect as far as I'm concerned). Human beings have been looking after their elderly relatives for thousands of years. Remains are often found which have no teeth and remodelling of the jaw bone which indicates that even long after physical health is declining, people were able to survive and therefore must have been cared for. I don't think we should dismiss permaculture because it is not suited to old people. We just need to address how we treat the elderly as a separate issue. Even when they're too old to be involved in direct production of crops they could still serve important functions like minding children, educating, carrying out light activities etc. Things which are beneficial for everyone!
we are nothing if we do not take care of our elders.
We are nothing if we cannot look through our brothers eyes with some compassion.
? What is old to you and to the other responders? Indio Jones here in Nicaragua. I am 46, and work the field, but for the most part it takes designers, coordinators, liasons, social media people as well. No canes required for this.
I love this.I want to join them.
Then Join. I partially sponsored their video, and the team seem genuine. I considered it an investment on my venture to create an interest in my smart park in Nicaragua. O.