Zone planning is one tool we can use in permaculture for energy efficient design. Once we've determined our elements' needs and yields through niche analysis, and evaluate when/where/how often we interact with these elements, we can use zone planning to help us place elements in locations that allow them to function productively within an permaculture system. We can apply the concept of 'zones' to both use of elements, and our influence in our communities and beyond. The zones allows us to conceptualize an economy of energy when creating change within ourselves, family, neighborhood and country. Applying Zones of Use to OPT's backyard design Zone 0 in our backyard design is the house, where we had our office and kept an indoor seedling and aquaponics set-up that grew salad greens and small veggies. Zone 1 is the area immediately surrounding the house and the outdoor space that we spent the most time. In Zone 1, we kept our rain barrels and vermicomposting bin. Because the house is surrounded by concrete and abutted by an in-ground pool, our Zone 2 encompassed a larger and scattered area, including parts of our gardens and a small greenhouse. We adapted our zone planning around these existing conditions on site and designed our Zone 2 as 'patches' instead of a discrete ring (see diagram below). Zone 3/4 (further away from the house, but right next to main garden in Zone 2) also had garden beds for growing plants we were experimenting with/trying out, and was where we kept compost, tools, and found materials (pots, bricks, stones, fencing, etc). This area borders a pathway of forest and wetlands where we'd often see squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, coyotes, turkeys and countless kinds of birds. Applying Zones of Influences to OPT's work We think of Zones of Influence as a way to work from the inside out, imagining a spiral of activity from ourselves outward into our community. It helps us to commit different levels of energy to different zones to work to meet our goals. This thinking has led us to focus on the development of ourselves and our homestead first, energy from we can send out as ripples into other zones, by for example getting involved with local organizations like Waltham Fields Community Farm and planning the Northeast Permaculture Convergence in 2012. This diagram is a reminder that self-care is very important in our trip. More information Deep Green Permaculture offers in depth information on each zone in this article. We've also included a PDF with diagrams and basic descriptions of zones of use and zones of influence. Share with us in the comments your experiences with zones of use/influence planning and design!
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The Lyman Estate is a short walk from where we live in Waltham, MA and is one of the first places we explored in our community when we started 'Our Permaculture Trip' in the fall of 2011.
The estate features several almost 200 year old greenhouses, some of the oldest in the United States, that are still used today. The Lymans were passionate horticulturalists and grew citrus and other 'tropical' plants like bananas and pineapples in greenhouses built several feet into the ground (called 'pit' greenhouses). The property was also a working farm, and today still houses a working nursery and various exotic and native plants on display. Part of our 'trip' has been to connect with our community through building relationships with people, organizations and learning about our shared history and how it can help us imagine the future. The idea of growing pineapples in Massachusetts is one of those small examples of the exciting possibilities that our current paradigm makes seem impossible. These greenhouses are just one example of using appropriate and available technology (remember these are almost 200 years old!) to shift what we believe is possible. This is one solution towards providing local, sustainable and simple sources for food preferences we've acquired through a destructive system of global food production and distribution. |
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