Permaculture

Art

21 Apr

In my previous post I talked a bit about permaculture. Permaculture stands for ‘permanent culture’ and ‘permanent agriculture’. It’s a design process that works with nature to produce sustainable food systems.

I’ve enjoyed the fruits and veg of organic, permaculture gardening. No inputs, just rainwater collection and compost produced from garden and kitchen ‘waste’.

I used to get angry with the radio when I’d hear yet another announcement that the guv here in the UK were again allowing the use of pesticides in farming. And more. The thing is, where profit and lobbying come into play, we have a quandary, a conflict of interest.

Now, in 2025, so much is changing in farming communities around the world. More and more people have awakened to the realisation that much of our food from supermarkets contains many a harmful poison from the sprays, and lacks crucial nutritional content. Not to mention the petrochemicals that the plastics in which our foods are contained leaching into the food itself. I’ve even heard a rumbling that the meaning of ‘organic’ has been adjusted to accommodate certain agendas.

I’ve recently been asked to take photographs of a lady’s farm for her book. I’ve volunteered there from time to time the past few years and I can’t describe with words how alive her land is. Stepping out of her farm gate, you’re faced with the apologetic mono-cropped fields of the neighbouring farm. So I’m feeling blessed. It’s a pleasure to photograph something you believe in.

In other not-so-news, Transition town Totnes have been doing the permaculture work for many years, way ahead of their time. Growing food in public areas, for anyone to help themselves to, seems to have encouraged more community-mindedness. It’s a win-win! More and more communities across the world are coming together to grow food to share, and they’re growing food from heritage and organic seeds as opposed to genetically-modified ones. True nature in action. Let’s help bring it on.