Permaculture Gardening: Learn How Easy It Is to Grow Fresh, Organic Produce

As a raw vegan living in Dubai, I became interested in permaculture gardening through my struggle to get fresh, organic fruit and vegetables.

The catalyst occurred when I stumbled across a video in which a born-and-bred conventional farmer investigated permaculture in Australia, and was ultimately convinced to convert part of her land into permaculture design.

Organic Fruit

Wow, I thought. What is this permaculture business?

Well, simply put permaculture gardening involves working with nature to produce a sustainable garden design.

It all started when Bill Mollison, a wildlife biologist, spent decades in the rainforests and deserts of Australia studying eco-systems, and witnessing their destruction.

He concluded that with the widespread use of conventional agriculture and the mechanisation of our food production, 70% of the world's soils have been destroyed and 40% of our water has been contaminated.

In our quest to feed the masses, agriculture itself had become a weapon against nature.

Together with one of his students, David Holmgren, he coined the word 'permaculture', a contraction of permanent agriculture' and 'permanent culture'.

Through observing natural forests, Mollison noted that plants naturally group themselves in a mutually-beneficial cluster. He built upon this idea to develop an approach to agriculture and community design that seeks to place elements together that support and sustain each other.

"The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long-term.

Permaculture uses the inherent qualities of plants and animals combined with the natural characteristics of landscapes and structures to provide a life-supporting system for city and country, using the smallest practical area".

Today, the principles of permaculture have taken root across the globe. From the deserts of the Kalahari to Israel's Arava Desert, the icy north of Scandinavia to the rainforests of South America, permaculture can be practiced in any kind of climate.

What's more, it has multifold applications: from practicing permaculture design on herb farms to transforming urban lots into gardens or even helping feed a family from an apartment balcony.

Even for a rookie such as myself, I knew I'd stumbled across something big. Perhaps something that could change the world, eliminating global issues such as poverty, hunger and waste.

No matter who you are, or what your income, whether you're a small-scale gardener or large-scale farmer, the benefits of growing fresh, organic and healthy food will extend to your family, your community, the earth and its animals.

Permaculture Gardening: Learn How Easy It Is to Grow Fresh, Organic Produce

Melissa Andrews is a freelance writer specialising in sustainability and eco-friendly living. To find out more about permaculture gardening, visit: http://www.eco-friendly-africa-travel.com/permaculture-gardening.html

To learn more about sustainable lifestyles and travel, do visit Melissa's website: http://www.eco-friendly-africa-travel.com

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