An Ecomimicry Approach to Permaculture

1. An Ecomimicry Approach to Permaculture

2. My Background • Botany; BS, EIU • Environmental Science; BS, EIU • Masters UIUC Plant Biology • Farmer; 10+ years; 5 generations • ~ 5 years permaculture • Landscaper • Naturalist • Restoration and conservation via revenue • Graduate work with bioenergy perennials, UIUC • Monoculture vs. polyculture • Perennials vs. annuals • Life cycle analysis

3. What is Permaculture? • “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture” • holistic design approach for creating sustainable systems • My approach is largely based upon ecomimicry • Biomimicry – design strategy that seeks solutions by imitation of natural elements and dynamics • Ecomimicry – design strategy that draws upon strengths of ecosystems • Self sustaining • self replicating • Self regulating

4. Why Permaculture/Goals? • Response to failures of modern agriculture • monocultures • annual crops • input demands • consolidation • soil destruction (C/N) • Transport/fuel • “A net can function with 70% of its strings broken”; what then? • Peak oil, water, population, etc. • 200sp/day lost • Permaculture provides a framework for integrating knowledge and solving problems

5. Where to Begin • "An sustainable farm is not one that uses certain methods and substances and avoids others; it is a farm whose structure is formed in imitation of the structure of a natural system and possesses its integrity and resilience" —Wendell Berry, "The Gift of Good Land" • Some major design principles • Prolonged insightful observation of system • Restoration based, not human/economic • Based upon native systems and ecomimicry • Continuous/reiterative process

6. Applying Ecomimicry • Natural systems are perennial based • capture more solar energy • Early in spring & Late into fall • Soil conservation/building • More efficient water use • Nutrient recycling year to year • Natural systems are polycultures • Niche partitioning • Resilience from diversity • Native species are adapted to local climate patterns (changing) • Fostering productive species interactions will produce emergent properties and efficiencies

7. Engineering Trophic Levels • Design Influenced by ecomimicry • Producers • Canopy & Root Stratification • Nitrogen fixers and soil miners • Grazers • Concentration and mobilization of nutrients • Pollinators • Predators • Hornets, assassin bugs, owls • Parasites • Flies, wasps • Disease • nematodes, milky spore • Decomposers • Nutrient cycling/Potential food resource • Succession • Continuous stage appropriate recruitment • Self Replicating

8. Hardy Illinois Perennials

10. Diversity • Diversity between and within species/genus/families at every trophic level • Reduces disease or pest outbreaks • Less likely and less severe impacts of stochastic events e.g. drought • Genetics for natural resistance and resilience(drought/hardiness) • Spatial distribution (no huge fields, etc.) • Seasonal/temporal diversity • Blooms and fruit throughout year • Better habitat , more productive, more resilient • Market exploration & finding niche

11. Soil Carbon • Plants can fix enormous quantities of carbon • Cover crops, trees, and other perennials are efficient at sequestration of carbon • Benefits of carbon • increases water retention • improves soil structure • Improves Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) • Provides food for soil fauna • Reduces runoff • Soil management determines carbon stability • Plowing and nutrient application can destroy soils • Annual crop growth destroys soil

12. Nutrients • Energy (C) and Nutrients (N,P,K) should cycle on the farm • Organic vs Inorganic Nutrients • Nutrients immobilized in carbon compounds are more stable • Inorganic nutrients speed break down of organic molecules in soil • Inorganic nutrients use fossil fuel in production or refinement • Inorganic nutrients are expensive $ • Nutrients are pollutants • Nitrogen • Effectively sequestered by legumes and many other species • Mobilized as manures, composts, hay, etc. • Phosphorus • Illinois soils rich, sometimes issues with solubility/pH • Soil Miners (phosphatase) and green manures • Potassium • Illinois soils usually rich, Soil miners can mobilize • Improving CEC availability

13. Mobilizing Nutrients • Grazers • Nitrogen, Phosphorus, & Potassium can be concentrated in manure • Cover crop polycultures should be edible • Green manure/Compost • Soil miners, legumes, and cover crops concentrate nutrients • Decomposers • Introducing edible/medicinal species • Nutrient recycling

14. Insects • Biological Pest Control • Predators • Parasitoids • Genetic resistance • E.g. red mites • diversity • Minimizes impacts • Does not eliminate issues • Outbreaks less likely and less severe • Resilience • Economic thresholds • Money saved on chemicals • System integrity preserved

15. Disease • Genetic Resistance or Immunity • E.g. fire blight • Diversity • Reduces likelihood and severity of outbreaks • Management • Eg. Cleanup of leaves or fruit

16. Weed Management • Weed competition • Competition with perennials • Increased groundcover • cover crops • Never leave ground bare • Mulch • Hay vs. straw • Fill niches • or weeds will • Soil Conditions • Prevention • Bio-indication • E.g. pigweed or dandelion • Manual Removal • Reduced but rarely eliminated

17. Water Management • Less of an issue in Illinois or small scale • No grades, good soil infiltration • Most years even rainfall • It can be a lot of work to mechanically change the way water moves on your land • One can match species to water and soil conditions just as natural systems do • If runoff or erosion is an issue these issues should be addressed • Climate change may incite changes

18. Importance of Seeds • Commodification issues • Threatens diversity • Threatens food security • Destroys economies • Importance of seeds • Self – replicating • Seeds are the future • Ability to adapt • Climate change • Backyard breeders • Diversity/genetic bank

19. Infrastructure • Renewable Energy & Materials • Solar and wind • Wood/plants • Solar Water heater • Cob or Straw Buildings • Root Cellar • Solar Dryer • Location/Transport • Packaging • Hydrology/Water Budget • Energy Budget

20. Regain Your Place In Environment • Sense of place • Nourishment of soul as well as body • We are deeply imbedded in our environment • Place to raise your family

21. Social Aspects • Reducing Externalities • Fair Access • Healthy Food • Respect for non-human life • Respect for native environments • Respect for traditional and local knowledge • Increased community

22. Permaculture Can Work at Any Scale • Rehabilitation of ecosystems can be accomplished at multiple scales • Broad acre farms • Homes • Apartments • Business • Does not need to be expensive • Seed collecting and trading • Money saved on food

23. Questions?