Perennial plants from around the world (book)

Around the World in 80 Plants – the inspiring edible adventure!

Around The World In 80 Plants takes us on an inspiring edible adventure across the continents, introducing us to the author’s top 80 perennial vegetables, with inspiration along the way from local foraging traditions and small scale domestication. Each plant has its own ethnobotanical story to tell; introducing Sherpa vegetables of the Himalayas; forest gardened and foraged vegetables of the Sámi people of Arctic Scandinavia; a super-vegetable of the Maori of New Zealand; the traditional veggie roof gardens of Norway; clifftop perennial vegetables of Dorset’s Jurassic coast;  Scandinavias best kept secret, a long-lived spinach that climbs; Prince Charles’ Forest Garden, and inspiring multi-species dishes of the Mediterranean. A thorough description is given of each vegetable, its propagation, cultivation and uses, and also how to source seed and plants. As many of the author’s selections are what he calls ‘edimentals’ – edible and ornamental – Around the World in 80 Plants will be of interest to traditional ornamental gardeners as well as anyone interested in permaculture, forest gardening, foraging, slow-food, gourmet cooking, traditional preservation techniques and ethnobotany.

Exclusive discount at http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/?a_aid=pa

Vegan Permaculture (book)

The Vegan Book of Permaculture: Recipes for Healthy Eating and Earthright Living by Graham Burnett

A vegan cookbook packed with wholesome recipes, veganic growing, forest gardening and eco-friendly living. The Vegan Book of Permaculture gives us the tools and confidence to take responsibility for our lives and actions. Creating a good meal, either for ourselves or to share, taking time to prepare fresh, wholesome home or locally grown ingredients with care and respect can be a deeply liberating experience. It is also a way of taking back some control from the advertising agencies and multinational corporations. In this groundbreaking and original book, Graham demonstrates how understanding universal patterns and principles, and applying these to our own gardens and lives, can make a very real difference to both our personal lives and the health of our planet. This also isn’t so very different from the compassionate concern for ‘Animals, People and Environment’ of the vegan way.

Permaculture tea in India (report)

Hope Brewing: Kotagiri to Kachibari, Case Studies on Ecological Tea Growing

On the occasion of World Food Day on October 16, Greenpeace India released its report "Hope Brewing - Kotagiri to Kachibari', showcasing successfully running tea plantations using ecological approaches across India. These are stories of success, restored biodiversity and prosperity from West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu, where pests and chemical usage have impoverished thousands of farmers. These case studies share a common narrative of hope and of how the pesticide treadmill can be tackled effectively. "All tea companies pursue the flavour in the balance sheet persistently, Makaibari tea and trading company pursues the flavour in the balance sheet of life passionately. The holistic agricultural aspect of Makaibari results in the credo that healthy soil is healthy mankind," said Rajah Banerjee of Makaibari, the world's first commercial permaculture tea plantation.

Overview of UK agroecology research (online)

UK Agroecology Research

This website comprises an overview of research on ecological agriculture in the UK. The information forms an overview of existing resources and ongoing research. The project was crowd funded. This review has revealed that while there is a vast volume of existing literature on the science and politics of making agriculture and forestry more sustainable, and considerable literature on organic systems, very little research has been undertaken on the environmental, social and economic benefits of diverse, labour intensive, smaller scale ecological farms. The site is split into sections to provide an easy to use information resource about agroecological research in the UK. You can find information about research institutions' projects and specialisms or search for specific research papers by topic. There's also a directory of UK research institutions who engage with agroecological issues. This site is composed of a network of live links, forming an interactive portal to information about agroecological research in the UK.

Graham Burnett interview, and much more (online)

Praxis: Bold as Love A Journey through the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design.

There are many great permaculture blogs. One of the best (after The Research Digest of course) is James Taylor's. It features interviews with an eclcetic range of permaculture practitioners, words of quiet wisdom, and some interesting personal reflections.

A great agroecological magazine (#journal)

Farming Matters

The AgriCultures Network builds and shares knowledge on small scale family farming and agroecology. For 30 years they have been producing magazines on sustainable farming, documenting and sharing family farming experiences. Currently, these include Farming Matters global edition (English) and regional editions in Latin America (Spanish), Brazil (Portuguese), West Africa (French), India (English) and China (Chinese). There are four issues of each magazine every year, all following a common topical theme. They reach 1 million readers worldwide. In addition, they support the systematisation of practical experiences and advocacy to promote family farming and agroecology.

Permaculture people blog

Permaculture People UK

A blog documenting Lauren and Phil's research tour of over 40 permaculture projects across the UK including Permaculture Association LAND centres. After a two year self directed permaculture tour of the Americas Lauren and Phil are now looking to buy some land and begin their own project. Follow them as they continue their journey exploring permaculture in the UK.

Role of wild foods in African diet (journal)

Dietary contribution of Wild Edible Plants to women’s diets in the buffer zone around the Lama forest, Benin – an underutilized potential

Rural populations in developing countries face food insecurity and malnutrition despite being surrounded by extraordinary biodiversity. This study assessed the contribution of Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) to diets of women living in southern Benin. A survey was carried out on 120 women, covering their knowledge and consumption of WEPs. Contribution of WEPs to total dietary intake was low due to infrequent use and small portion sizes. The highest nutrient contributions of WEPs measured were for copper (13.9 %) and iron (4.6 %) but the women had intake values below the Estimated Average Requirements for these elements - copper 65% and iron 91%. Women’s dietary diversity was significantly higher among WEP consumers than non-consumers, mainly due to higher consumption of dark green leafy vegetables. WEPs were less consumed as a replacement for other foods but rather as a complement to the diet.

Agricultural biodiversity weblog (online)

Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog 

Separated by half a world but united by their passion for agricultural biodiversity and the internet, Luigi Guarino and Jeremy Cherfas decided to create a space that would allow them to indulge their passions and maybe do some good. Their aim is to collect in one place anything they find on the internet that relates to the notion of agricultural biodiversity (or agrobiodiversity, though we don’t particularly like the word), a big tent but one that the whole of humanity shelters beneath. If that helps others to find things of interest, so much the better. They welcome contributions. You don’t even need to register.

Permaculture for Iowa's changing climate (online)

Adapting Permaculture Food Systems Planning to Iowa's Changing Climate.

This poster was produced from a research project by Liza Minor. She projected daily temperatures across the continental U.S. under three emissions scenarios for 2046-2065. These projections were combined with USDA Plant Hardiness Zone classifications to map how changes in extreme temperatures may affect the range and yield of more than 100 tree species and specialty crops, and the composition of symbiotic plant communities. Liza concluded that most U.S. cities should focus on heat tolerance when choosing new street trees, urban food forests, and specialty crops, with an increase in options for new plantings.