Documentary on growing food in schools (online)

Growing Schools, a new film for permaculture teachers, parents and kids



'Growing Schools' is a 4-part documentary series which showcases empowered children involved in transforming their school grounds into abundant food gardens and nature havens. It explores the proven benefits of gardening and nature connection for children’s motivation, academic achievement, health and wellbeing.  These stories exemplify how the wider community can play a vital part in supporting and sustaining a school garden programme, for the benefit of all. Made for teachers, parents, policy-makers, environmental educators and permaculture facilitators - but engaging for kids too…

Do you know any permaculture-friendly academics? (Help needed)

Searching for Permaculture Friendly Academics

Caroline Smith, co-organiser of the Australian Permaculture Convergence, is putting together a list of permaculture-friendly academics from all over the world. This will be used to further research collaborations, promote networking, and for potential post-graduate students to find supervisors. It will be publicized on this digest, on various websites and at the International Permaculture Conference. If you are a permaculture-friendly academic, or if you know one, please contact Caroline with your details, institution, country and research interests: smith.caroline81@gmail.com

Farmed landscapes cause species loss (#journal)

Response of avian diversity to habitat modification can be predicted from life-history traits and ecological attributes

Research has found a substantial reduction in bird species living in cultivated mango orchards compared to natural habitats in Southern Africa. The scientists were aiming to ascertain whether agriculture could add novel habitat elements and thereby support additional bird species complementary to those already present in the natural areas – but found that in contrast, there was a loss of 35% of the bird species within the farmed land. The researchers say farmland is a poor substitute for natural areas but simple improvements could make a difference to biodiversity conservation.

 

Living with the Land 3) Regenerative Agriculture (video)

Living with the Land 3: Building Soil with Regenerative Agriculture

Village Farm in Devon is a living example of regenerative agriculture. A little over a year ago, Rebecca Hosking and business partner Tim Green - makers of the BBC2 documentary 'A Farm for The Future' - became tenants of 175 acres of exhausted soils. Turning a windswept, misused, coastal farm into an abundant landscape working with nature is their goal; their approach - holistic planned grazing. Farming with nature, Village Farm is one of the many and inspiring examples of an agriculture working to build soils and providing good food for everyone without damage to the natural world. Narrated by Colin Tudge, biologist, writer, and co-founder of The Campaign for Real Food.

Agroecology and permaculture (journal)

Agroecology and Permaculture: Addressing Key Ecological Problems by Rethinking and Redesigning Agricultural Systems 

Agroecology presents an alternative paradigm of production based on ecological principles such as recycling wastes, minimizing energy and water use, maximizing genetic diversity, regenerating soil and increasing its carbon content, integrating livestock and crops into a holistic system, and promoting other beneficial biological synergies. Moreover, agroecological methods have the potential to actually boost production and farm incomes, particularly in the global South. Permaculture, perhaps the most widely practiced form of agroecology, also provides an ethical framework and principles that serve as a basis for discerning actions that enable the design of diverse, sustainable systems suited to a wide variety of cultural and ecological contexts.

Living with the Land 2) Natural building

Living with the Land part 2 - Natural Building

Kevin McCloud, a Channel 4 presenter well known for the TV series Grand Designs, introduces part 2 of Living with the Land - 'Natural Building'. Natural buildings are an ancient tradition with a modern appeal. Creating healthy, beautiful homes from natural materials such as earth, straw and timber, building naturally is the ultimate expression of ecological design. Building isn’t ‘done' to us – it can be done by us. The skills and techniques used in natural building are hands-on and accessible, enabling us all to design our own healthy living spaces bringing people and the elements together. The UK has a rich tradition of natural building and natural architecture that is seeing a renewed interest. Building naturally is one such response to Living With The Land.

Rabindranath Tagore and modern utopia (#journal)

Towards a Tagorean Utopia: From Rural Reconstruction to Transition Towns

In his essays, the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore describes the form of local and global community he envisaged and tried to bring into being. That vision is compatible with the aims and development of the Transition Movement, which is motivated by a recognition that the capitalist machine is running out of control, to the detriment of planet and people. This reading of Tagore reveals that, in effect, he advocated a withdrawal from the capitalist system, ‘back to the future’, not to a rustic existence bound by rigid cultural constraints, but to local cooperative farming and industry, progressive education and renewed culture and creativity.