This document outlines an eco-farming curriculum called HEPA that is based on permaculture design principles observed in nature. The curriculum has 4 parts: 1) ethics and culture, 2) learning from nature by observing patterns and principles, 3) ecological design using 9 principles, and 4) practical applications through hands-on projects. Some of the key design principles discussed are diversity, connection, feeding the soil, natural succession, using edges, multiple functions, saving energy, small slow solutions, and using biological resources. The overall goal is to design sustainable agricultural systems by emulating natural ecosystems.

1. Learning from Nature
SPERI – Robert Gray
Robertgray@speri.org

2. Eco - Farming
• What is Eco-farming?
• Bill Mollison - Permaculture is a design
science. Follow natural Ecosystems -
agricultural systems – eco systems Beneficial
functional relationships….. Integration of
poeple and landscape providing all material
and non material needs…

3. Eco-Farming
(Design Science)
Ecology –
Multidisciplinary Organic / holistic
Traditional Culture Systems /
Sciences Farming Systems
holistic Thinking

4. Eco – Farming Curricula (HEPA)
• 1) Ethics, Spirit and environmentally friendly
(traditional) culture.
• 2) Learning from Nature.
• 3) Ecological Design.
• 4) Practical (making a change) – Learning by doing.

5. 1) Ethics, Spirit and environmentally
friendly (traditional) culture.
• Ethics
– Environmental Issues
– Humans are responsible for damaging the environment.
– Humans are now responsible for;
• 1) Protecting remaining natural ecosystems (inspector).
• 2) Restoring damaged ecosystems.
• 3) Designing environmentally / people friendly landscapes for
settlement.
– Earth Care – People Care – Fair share.

6. Ethics (Spirit)
Ecological Design - Principles
Practical Applications

20. 1) Ethics, Spirit and environmentally
friendly (traditional) culture.
• Spirit
– Human Ecology Theory - Mrs Lanh.
• Spiritual Beliefs / Values of indigenous people nurture nature.
– Tong Seng protected forest – Lao.
– Australia - sacred sites – animal breeding grounds.
• Viewing nature as a resource for exploitation leads to
environmental destruction.
– Parallels between Ethics and Spirit.

23. 1) Ethics, Spirit and Environmentally
friendly (traditional) culture.
• Environmentally Friendly (traditional) Culture.
– Integrate our food systems and life into where we live.
– Protect and develop Local Knowledge.
– Nurture Culture – Creativity, Art, Poetry, Love, Thinking
time, Traditional scarves.
– Environmental Education (student centered, Nature as
Teacher).
– Culture must have a minimal impact on the environment,
nature can provide for our need not for our greed.

27. 2) Learning from Nature.
• Earth History – Age of the earth, Age of Life, Age of Humans.
• Observation of Nature.
– Nature is our best teacher.
– Through observation of Natural ecologies and applied ecologies we
can learn how to design our settled landscapes.
– Prolonged and thoughtful observation rather than prolonged and
thoughtless action (Picture).
– Observations of the Natural Landscape and Lay of the land.
– Observation of Patterns and Principles in Nature.

35. 2) Learning from Nature.
• Pattern
– Leaf Vein Exercise?
– Common Patterns underlie phenomena of
different characteristics.
• Principles
– Patterns and observations in nature lead to
principles of design.

40. 3) Ecological Design.
• Observation as method.
– Evolutionary design.
– Every new object well contemplated opens up a
new organ of perception within us.
• Observation strategies
– Zone analysis
– Sector analysis
– Transect analysis

42. 3) Ecological Design.
• Design Process
– Process for developing sustainable design solutions.
• 1) Observation
• 2) Principles
• 3) Integration (Mind Map)
• 4) Local Knowledge (Pattern / Spirit)
• 5) Design
• 6) Practice
• 7) Feedback
• How will you practice each of these during your
activities in HEPA?

43. What is a Principle?
• A principle is a guiding idea (key idea,
important idea) that has been informed by
many observations in nature and practice.
• A principle is a summery of what we know
about a particular topic, it guides us.

44. 3) Ecological Design.
• Design Principles of Eco-farming
– Nine Principles used at HEPA.
• Diversity
• Connection
• Feed the soil
• Natural succession
• Use the edge
• Multiple functions
• Save energy
• Small and slow solutions
• Use biological / Local resources

45. Diversity

46. Connection
• Connect. Use relative location: Place elements
in ways that create useful relationships and
time-saving connections among all parts. The
number of connections among elements
creates a healthy, diverse ecosystem, not the
number of elements.

48. Feed the soil
• Feed the soil not the plant. Give food in the
right proportions to soil organisms, this feeds
natural cycles of life that feed and nourish
plants.

54. Natural Succession

56. Use the Edge

58. Multiple Functions

60. Save energy
• Save Work
• Physical Energy
– Nutrients
– Water
– Materials
– Oil
– Electricity

62. Small and slow solutions

63. Use biological / Local Resources

68. 4) Practice (making a change) –
Learning by doing.
• Core Practical Topics
– Water Management
• Swales, ponds, drains
– Waste Management
• Banana circles
• Reed beds
– Soil management (Feed the Soil)
– Compost
– Worm Farms
– Garden Bed Design
• Extension Practical Topics