Permaculture Irrigation
"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system."
-Bill Mollison
A cornerstone of our business approach, the Permaculture style and methods underlies our watering system design, product development, and business philosophy. We started farming and gardening with Permaculture Irrigation methods in the early 1980’s and most of our design team have Permaculture Design Certificates. As much as possible, they use this approach to integrate and suggest the irrigation systems they quote for you. We have many local design partners in this field and can refer you to experts when your interests go beyond irrigation.
Originally, permaculture was a blending of "permanent" and "agriculture." Soon, however, it shrunk from agriculture to culture in general - "permanent culture." It now includes ecological design and engineering, architecture and environmental construction, agroforestry, re-wilding, town planning, and whole systems thinking. It begins with social, cultural, and economic systems; takes into account Indigenous experience and knowledge as well as natural ecosystems; and expands beyond the typical focus on money-making to become a guiding-life philosophy that includes awareness of the short and long-term environmental, social, and cultural consequences of our actions. Permaculture empowers our self-sufficiency, brings in a big view, and encourages us to ask, "What would nature do?"
Plastic Bottle-Made Greenhouse
"Insect Hotel"
Strategic Gardening
Permaculture Irrigation
Simple, low cost, resource and time-saving; Blumat and BluSoak products can team up to help you build the best Permaculture Irrigation systems for a true regenerative agriculture transition. Only needing 1 psi, they easily tie into gravity, rain collection, and greywater systems. Because they don’t need electricity, batteries, timers or even pressurized water; they last longer, create more self-sufficiency, conserving resources, and grow more healthy plants.
Links
Masanobu Fukuoka (1913–2008)
Farmer and philosopher, giant in the development of organic farming, sustainable development, guerrilla gardening and permaculture; Fukuoka founded “No-Till Natural Farming.” Trained as a microbiologist and agricultural scientist, he challenged Western agricultural practices both on his farms, in worldwide lectures, and in his books applying Taoist approaches like non-intervention and “Do-Nothing Farming.” He worked with the UN to combat desertification, helped the Green Gulch Zen Center and Lundberg Family Farms, did projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. A deep observer of nature, he went beyond farming techniques to inspiring the natural food and natural lifestyle movements.
Bill Mollison (1928-2016)
Permaculture's Founder-Father
Scientist, professor, ecologist, global gardener, and tenacious opponent of environmental profiteering; Bill Mollison designed and developed sustainable agriculture projects all over the world; even in the most challenging Equatorial and Arctic environments. For more than 40 years, he worked with groups as diverse as US urban farmers to African tribal women; Pacific islanders to Native Americans; European backyard gardeners to seven different Amazonian language groups. He championed the idea of more gardening as the foundation for more just, egalitarian, and peaceful societies. He questioned both the motivations and effectiveness of revolutionaries and political insurgents who "depend on the very system they attack."
"The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone."
-Bill Mollison