Driving Permaculture Principles for Permaculture Design Consultants
Permaculture as a system focuses the design process around the 12 Permaculture Principles. 12 might not seem like a big number but when you start applying them to real life applications, it is a rigorous process that takes lots of time, creativity and effort. The rewards are endless but not everyone is able to carefully plan using a long research and input period. The principles an architect might apply to make his design aligned with Permaculture Design might be completely different from what an ethical bed and breakfast owner uses. We are on a quest to find out how a permaculture design consultancy can use the Permaculture Principles to create a business that is as holistic as possible. A recent interview with Brandy Hall – the founder and managing director of Shades of Green Permaculture, shed some light on this topic.
One of the principles that has changed her life as a designer and as an entrepreneur is Integrate rather than segregate. She worked at a lot of places early on in her career, taking on different roles – from an intern to a sales person to a farming assistant. All of the experiences she gained over the years have helped her become a better permaculture designer today. Integrating everything that you do, rather than categorising things into boxes or compartments can really help you grow. Such varied knowledge helps you look at problems through multiple lenses and contributes to a more thorough solution. Integrated thinking leads to better decision making. This is one reason why Brandy enjoys running her design company – integrating lots of specialists in a way that everyone benefits.
Another principle that she really abides by is – Applying self-regulation & accepting feedback. Her preference for turn-key projects is based on the assistance that the inbuilt feedback loops give the team. Since the same team surveys, designs, and implements, there is a greater ability to take feedback from the earth at all project stages. As the project progresses you can see if the systems you designed are working in the way you anticipated. If not, you can quickly learn from the site, pivot, and make improvements to your design.
Take a look at these snippets from the interview for a deeper understanding of how she applies both these principles. Are there more applications you can think of?
Brandy understands that after completing the PDC, many people are lost because they don’t know where to start. In order to make application of your permaculture education easier and more structured – Shades of Green Permaculture have come up with an online course – The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint -a step-by-step guide to transforming an outdoor space into an eco-friendly paradise.
This is the only permaculture implementation program of its kind that not only walks participants through Shades of Green’s proven step-by-step process, but takes them from feeling overwhelmed and confused to feeling confident and prepared. Designed for those with residential urban or suburban outdoor space, participants will learn to create a thriving space that protects biodiversity, builds soil, restores the water cycle, grows food and medicine, and creates pollinator and wildlife habitat.
If this is something that interest you, please find more details here.
Becoming a Permaculture Design Consultant is just one avenue students can take after completing a PDC Course and getting a few years of experience. To learn more about regenerative career paths, sign up for the official 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course here!
