Permaculture article in Urban Farm

On Jan 3, 2011, at 4:23 PM, Kathleen Partridge wrote about Eric Knutzen’s comment:

> one, your only job opportunity it teaching permaculture.

Oh good grief… I know how frustrating this type of comment can be. The article isn’t online yet, but I’ll look for a copy. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say stuff like this. First of all, one cannot teach permaculture (well) unless one is actually practicing it.

Let’s all be clear to our students: Permaculture courses are not job training courses. The notion that education exists only as a job opportunity is too narrow. Honestly, I can’t think of any systems analysis and design approach that advertises itself as a job training program.

If Eric Knutzen was writing for a magazine called “Urban Farm,” who did he interview? Could they not demonstrate how taking the course would help people improve the design of FARM operations in an URBAN setting?

Someone who had not studied, read, or had any idea claimed to me: “Permaculture is like a pyramid scheme. You learn permaculture but all you can do is teach others permaculture. ” Hrmph! Somebody is doing a bad job representing a design system with methods and principles directed towards particular ends which are not to just teach it.

When I chose to earn a B.A. in psychology I was repeatedly asked what type of job I expected to get with it. When I answered that I wanted to understand human behavior better which would serve me in many jobs, some found my answer odd or unpractical! I knew art students who got the same treatment except they were often told to use their skills as art teachers, never mind the art…

I recommend that folks study permaculture in order to improve their lives. If the systems-thinking that permaculture study embodies helps their job, then wonderful. Take the course because you want to design to meet human needs (food, energy, water, housing, fiber, beauty…) in a sustainable, ethical manner.

The other comical notion is that teaching permaculture is a job. Ask any permaculture teacher how much they earned teaching in the past 10 years and you will see the humor. In the last five years I have lost money organizing courses, but I’m still laughing (and practicing permaculture)!

> I wonder if permaculture needs to reassess itself. What is the goal? > To have everyone in the country have a PDC? Or to have permaculture > be a mainstream, household word and give people access to > permaculture information, techniques, guidance AND PDCs if they > decide they want to go that far.

Important questions. I’ve never heard anyone suggest that all people should take a PDC, so I’m not even sure if we should go there. But it would be great if more motivated, community-minded people took the PDC to better practice permaculture and in doing so, ideally give many others access to general permaculture techniques, guidance, etc.

Sometimes I see the permaculture “movement” as analogous to other ecological patterns. Pioneer species, like a permaculture practitioner or activist, have an impact on the other organisms they are near or have relationships with, often changing their surroundings in a successional manner. Permaculture knowledge spreads more like waves or scattered patterns than seeds in a monocropped field. If some of the big ideas (principles) or techniques take root in the mainstream and result in more ecologically sane design, then permaculture is successful, even if some may not know the seed of the ideas.

>
> A little story: I happened to stumble across the Ellen Degeneres > show one day awhile back and she had some actress Ellen Page on –
> who had recently completed a month at a permaculture farm out west > somewhere. Ellen P. was going on about how great it was and Ellen D. > asked her what the heck permaculture was. Ellen P gave a perfect, > dead-on definition and description of it. I’m watching this in > amazement, because here’s somebody talking about permaculture on > national TV! And then, and then…she blew it. Ellen D asks what she > did while she was there. What did she learn? Ellen Page’s answer? > “Oh I shoveled goat shit and pee’d in a bucket.” >
> And everybody laughed and the conversation moved on. Sigh. >
> Opportunity lost.

I saw it also and agree… sigh…

Heard on the street:

“permaculture? waz that??
“I dunno… something about pissing in bucket?
“Eww! Gross!”

>
> Anyway, just some ramblings. Check out the magazine if you get a > chance. You can buy it (or just sneak a peek) at Barnes & Noble. >
> -Kathy
>

Thanks for clueing us in on the article.

Sincerely,
Michael Burns

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http://flxpermaculture.net
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