Permaculture: a holistic approach to life

When we tell people we practise permaculture, we usually get some questions. The interesting thing is the type of questions people ask us. Usually the person asks us what to do about a diseased plant or tree. It is interesting how we are all so indoctrinated into thinking that someone who works with nature, plants and animals should know how to treat a diseased element without any further research or knowing the circumstances…

We are so used going to a doctor with our own ailments and taking a prescription of something or other which “fixes” the symptom. We expect the same for our plants, trees and animals. Holistic medicine is becoming more popular these days, and people are starting to understand that they have to research and look at the cause behind the symptom. However, even some holistic medicine practitioners still seem to think that there should be a blanket cure for symptoms of disease in plants or animals (or soil, or other non-human life…) This attitude is one of the reasons our planet is in such a mess.

As with the human system, other natural systems also suffer under stress. A lot of different factors can cause this stress, as with humans. We as permaculturalists are holistic practitioners, and we need to look at improving the natural environment for all elements in a system. This will then improve the health of each individual element. It takes time to truly understand how to look at everything holistically, as we are brought up in a culture of band aid solutions to everything. We also want results overnight , forgetting that nature works in a different time to humans. The human life span is only around 70-80 years if we are lucky. Trees can grow for hundreds or thousands of years… For nature to produce fossil fuel took millions of years! Quick fixes always have a cost, and the cost gets higher and higher every time we take a short cut.

We have to understand that we need to fix the foundation before we can build more. And this will not happen overnight, and maybe even not in our lifetime! We have to understand that EVERY action has a reaction. Usually that reaction is bigger than we can even imagine and will ever know. We need to climb out of the box. Start seeing life and its elements in a holistic, interactive and integrated swirl of patterns that it is. Bandaids are obsolete. We must move towards an age of holistic practitioners and thinkers, who can see how everything is connected.

So next time, if you have a plant or tree that is diseased, study its environment. Soil, water, its companions, its position and all other factors and elements that may cause it stress. Improve its health by targeting any stressful factors and keep observing. Permaculture is observing nature. Observing nature is a holistic practice. It involves time and patience. And it is a continual learning process.

©2017 Zaia; permeco.org, incorporating Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast Inc. permeco.org, simplicity, permaculture, self reliance, self sufficiency, sustainability, food, health and homesteading; Permaculture: looking at life holistically

Author: Zaia Kendall

Zaia grew up in a family of musicians in Holland, and has a background in top sport (snow skiing) and web development and design. She co-founded the PRI Luganville and PRI Sunshine Coast Inc (now PermEco Inc.) with Tom, and runs the “invisible structures”, like finances, business administration, website design and maintenance, writes articles and records and edits videos. She assists Tom in running the Kendall Permaculture Farm and supervising other volunteers. She is an active member of several musical projects and bands, involved in community music and runs percussion and marimba workshops, is the percussion leader for the Woodford Folk Festival People’s Orchestra and composes as well as plays music. She is passionate about community music and loves seeing people discover that they can play!