Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

What is Permaculture?

Popularly seen as a ‘cool’ form of organic gardening, permaculture could be better described as a design system for resilient living and land use based on universal ethics and ecological design principles. Although the primary focus of permaculture has been the redesign of gardening, farming, animal husbandry and forestry, the same ethics and principles apply to design of buildings, tools and technology.

Applying permaculture ethics and principles in our gardens and homes inevitably leads us towards redesigning our ways of living so as to be more in tune with local surpluses and limits.

Permaculture is also a global movement of individuals, groups and networks working to create the world we want, by providing for our needs and organising our lives in harmony with nature. The movement is active in the most privileged and the most destitute communities and countries. Permaculture may be Australia’s most significant export for humanity facing a world of limits.

from David Holmgren’s book RetroSuburbia

In this video, produced by The Food Forest, in 2010, David reflects on how permaculture can be used as a template for survival and abundance

Permaculture could be better described as a design system for resilient living...

~ David Holmgren, Permaculture Co-originator

When we work with nature instead of trying to impose our will, the solution is often found within the problem.

~ David Holmgren, Permaculture Co-originator

It is not the project but the living process that will be the measure of our actions.

~ David Holmgren, Permaculture Co-originator

Protesting Permaculture: the last five weeks and the last five decades

David Holmgren November 27, 2021

On Saturday 13th and 20th November, my partner Su Dennett and I joined others from central Victoria travelling by train to the “Kill the Bill”/anti-lockdown/anti-mandate protests in Melbourne. This essay documents the experience, and reflects on the relationship between permaculture and oppositional activism over more than 40 years.

Autonomy and Solidarity in a Covid mad world

David Holmgren November 25, 2021

Whether you call it a pandemic or a plandemic, Covid and the responses to it have turned our world upside down. For some unknown but large number of Australians, the division of our country into the vaxxed and the unvaxxed is challenging what we thought was true and good about our country, and created doubt and conflict though our families, schools, communities and workplaces. The consequent questioning and destabilisation of our faith in our support networks and institutions has caused many to pull their heads in to avoid conflict. Getting vaxxed, whether they thought it was a good idea or not, seemed to be the only way to keep the peace, get by, or even just survive. For some small proportion, with more psychological resources, it triggered a sense of solidarity with the unvaxxed who are fast becoming second class citizens.

Pandemic Brooding: Brown Tech in New Clothing

David Holmgren October 1, 2021

In David Holmgren’s latest essay, he highlights the importance of the Brown Tech world as a logical unfolding of energy descent systemic forces breaking down the techno-industrial world, rather than a great battle of benign wisdom over recalcitrant and subversive resistors, or alternatively, an evil plan for world domination that must be resisted at every turn. For an increasingly alienated, perhaps minority of permies, the emergent Brown Tech world is experienced as a mad undemocratic process taking away our rights and freedoms and imposing controls over previously private lives, possibly driven by shadowy elites striving for world domination or worse. This of course leads to association with people of very different values and backgrounds.

Pay As You Feel

RetroSuburbia

Online Version

start reading today

Solstice, Christmas, New Year.

What to Give?

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Pay As You Feel

RetroSuburbia

Online Version

start reading today

Featured Videos

Changing Habits for Self-Reliance and Resilience

David Holmgren — Sustainable Living Festival 2018

David Holmgren — Decolonise Your Lawn

About Holmgren Design

David
Holmgren

David Holmgren is the co-originator of the permaculture concept following publication of Permaculture One, co-authored with Bill Mollison in 1978. David is globally recognised as a leading ecological thinker.

Melliodora
Publishing

Melliodora is a small specialist publisher dedicated to producing a limited range of books and other media by David Holmgren and other authors. Our titles aim to support individuals in their personal permaculture journeys.

Melliodora
Property

Melliodora is a 8700m² (2¼ acre) property situated on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Central Victoria. It is one of the best documented and well known permaculture demonstration sites in the world.

Latest News

Essential Bushfire Safety Tips – 3rd Edition

David Holmgren October 26, 2021

Bushfire has been a recurring theme in my work over nearly four decades and a central concern for anyone involved in permaculture design, teaching and practice in rural Australia, especially the south east of the continent, which has the dubious title of being the most bushfire prone region in the world.

People’s Choice Online Vote is now open

MegU October 26, 2021

The portrait of David Holmgren, painted by Eugene von Nagy, was a finalist in The Lester Prize, the third largest portrait prize in Australia, after the Moran and Archibald. Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Online Vote.

Pandemic Brooding translated into French

MegU September 28, 2021

David’s latest writing, “Pandemic Brooding: Can the Permaculture movement survive the first severe test of the energy descent future?” has now been translated into French, which you can download as a PDF at the top of this page: https://holmgren.com.au/writing/pandemic-brooding/

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

What is Permaculture?

Latest Writings

Featured Videos

About Holmgren Design

David
Holmgren

Melliodora
Publishing

Melliodora
Property

Latest News

Essential Bushfire Safety Tips – 3rd Edition

People’s Choice Online Vote is now open

Pandemic Brooding translated into French

From the Archive

Protesting Permaculture: the last five weeks and the last five decades

Autonomy and Solidarity in a Covid mad world

Pandemic Brooding: Brown Tech in New Clothing

The Problem is the Solution: but solutions can turn back into (the same old) problems

RetroSuburbia Roadmap

Upcoming Events

Melliodora – Hepburn Permaculture Gardens

Permaculture Tour at Melliodora
January 2022

Melliodora – Hepburn Permaculture Gardens

Permaculture Tour at Melliodora
February 2022

Rocklyn Ashram

2022 Rocklyn Ashram Permaculture Design Course

Featured Publications

Retrofit Your Life From The Inside Out!

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Get in touch

Join our mailing list

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Get in touch

Permaculture Vision and Innovation

Permaculture Vision and Innovation

Permaculture Vision and Innovation

Permaculture Vision and Innovation

Permaculture Vision and Innovation

What is Permaculture?

Latest Writings

Featured Videos

About Holmgren Design

DavidHolmgren

MelliodoraPublishing

Melliodora Property

Latest News

From the Archive

Upcoming Events

Melliodora – Hepburn Permaculture Gardens

Melliodora – Hepburn Permaculture Gardens

Rocklyn Ashram

Featured Publications

Retrofit Your Life From The Inside Out!

Navigation

Join our mailing list

Get in touch

Join our mailing list

Navigation

Get in touch

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

Permaculture
Vision and
Innovation

David
Holmgren

Melliodora
Publishing

Melliodora
Property