It is easy to be overwhelmed by the possibilities and tasks of a permaculture garden, especially if you have several acres or a large farm. It can seem impossible to bring a complicated plan into fruition. However, the plan can, and should be, slow by design. Small systems are easier and faster to maintain than big ones. This is common sense. Large systems can often be broken down into smaller pieces that build upon one another. Often this can be the only feasible way to finish a large, intensive design. For example, I have 3.6 acres of blackland. The plan is to plant about a hundred fruit bearing trees, install a swale system, integrate the stockpond with native water plants, get chickens with their own system of runs, goats, a greenhouse, a fenced in garden (because of the goats), windbreaks between the septic sprayers and the rest of the property, and a myriad other things including an extensive food forest. Would I be crazy to install this all at once even if I had the money? Absolutely. I can’t possibly take care of all of that by myself. I can’t care for the chickens properly until their run system is established and able to feed them. Same thing with the goats, except on a much larger scale. I can’t afford to do all this if I can’t eat, so the garden takes high priority. Then if I build the greenhouse, I can buy seeds to grow many of the plants I want instead of buying plants, which saves a ton of money. Building the swales helps water the trees. The garden will take effort, but once it is established, it will not take as much of my energy. The food forest and perennial plants will take a lot of time and money to install, but after a couple years, they will largely grow themselves. Start small and slow. Be patient. Do not overwhelm yourself with too much. Know your limits, know your desires, and stay within what you are capable of. In the future, I want to consider having a small group of meat rabbits. Will I actually get them? That completely depends on what I have to sacrifice at the time to include them. The benefits must outweigh the cost. We have limited time and energy to give. If we want to include something new, that means something else will have a corresponding sacrifice. It may take you twenty years to realize your permaculture vision. And that is perfectly all right. Comments are closed.
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Rebecca Burrow
I am a Christian permie designer trying to spread the word about Christian land stewardship through permaculture. I like goats a lot. Maaaaaaaah. Archives
September 2016
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Burrow Permaculture Consulting | Permie Blog |