Ecology for the Masses: Permaculture as Feral Ecology (5th and Final Week)

"...permaculture is about re-enchanting the city and bringing the social and ecological together." - Haluza-DeLay and Berezan

The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems Blog Series

Ecology for the Masses: Permaculture as Feral Ecology

Permaculture and the Scientific Community in the Age of Society 2.0

"The positivistic and optimistic nature of the permaculture method inspires bottom-up activity since it makes environmental change tangible and ecological viewpoint comprehensible." - Morris

In spite of its popularity, permaculture as a discipline, has yet to gain significant attention in the scientific community (Haluza-DeLay and Berezan, 2010; Ferguson and Lovell, 2013).

"Despite these parallels, permaculture has received very little discussion in the agroecological literature." - Ferguson and Lovell

But most research in ecology are based on what Morris calls "feral feedback"--feedback provided by individuals working with and within alternative farming systems such as permaculture.

Morris, in his paper, "When Science Goes Feral," describes the state of the discipline of ecology, particularly landscape architecture, in the context of today's society. Environmental issues directly or indirectly affecting daily life as portrayed in the media, such as rainforest destruction and CFCs, have heightened society's awareness toward their surroundings. Bringing ecology, economics, and community together (Miloslav L, 2012) is what fuels this new movement in the mainstream. Haluza-DeLay and Berezan states, "If the modern world is one of disenchantment (Gibson, 2014), in some senses permaculture is about re-enchanting the city and bringing the social and ecological together."

Permaculture was described by Morris as "feral ecology" or ecology that is being discussed beyong the scientific bounds of the academe in the age of Society 2.0 (the age of the integration of social-networking and interactive digital platforms).

Thank you for reading my 5-week blog series on The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems.

This semester, I will be doing my master's thesis on permaculture. Please give your support by sharing this blog to your friends. Thank you again!

References:

Ferguson RS and Lovell, ST (2013). Permaculture for agroecology: design, movement, practices and worldview -  A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, INRA and Springer-Verlag France 2013.

Haluza-DeLay R and Berezan, R (201). Permaculture in the city: Ecological habits and the distributed ecovillage. Localizing Environmental Anthropology : Bioregionalism, Permaculturem and Ecovillage Design for a Sustainable Future. Berghan Books.

Miloslave L, J Vavra, Z. Sokolickova (2012). Cultural Ecology: Contemporary Understanding of the Relationship between Humans and the Environment. Journal of Landcape Ecology.

Join the Farmers Market at the UPOU Community Hub

Register for free for our 2-day Farmers Market! Please send us a PM to register for FREE!
Click the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/196218404065879/

Categories:
1. Seeds and seedlings
2. Vegetables and fruits
3. Meat, eggs, and dairy
4. Farm and garden tools
5. Organic technologies (vermicast, compost, EM, etc)
6. Prepared food and beverages
7. Bottled and processed food
8. Farm and Garden Apparel and Merchandise
9. Health and Wellness Products

Nu Wave Farmers x UPLB Orientation 2016

What: A brief orientation for young organic farmers in UPLB. Mabilis lang!
When: 6 - 7 PM, Wednesday, February 3
Where: Ginhawa Craft Studio's Asian Art Cafe
Click the link to join: https://www.facebook.com/events/1677097679233201/

We are looking for students who want to learn about organic agriculture and permaculture and are willing to participate in our farm activities in UPLB.

Open to all students (undergrad/grad student) from all courses! If you're not a student, you can also drop by to learn more about the Nu Wave Farmers youth movement and start your own initiative in your area!

Interested? Please contact:
Calai - 09176872991 or
Nadine - 09054838057

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nuwavefarmers
Follow us on Instagram: @nuwavefarmers

The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems: Concept-Based AFS (Week 4)

Students from Ateneo de Manila University meet the Nu Wave Farmers UPLB.

While the aforementioned alternative farming systems (see Week 3) are based on methods or specific practices, concept-based systems such as regenerative agriculture and permaculture are frameworks and philosophies that focus more on landscape management, use of natural resources and commnity-building.

Another field is agroecology,which is closely related to permaculture. Not to be confused with ecoagriculture, agroecology is a branch of ecology that studies agricultural production systems regardless of method. This leads to more confusion because Ferguson and Lovell's study (2013), agroecology seems to imply a departure from the industrial method of agriculture. Permaculture, on the other hand, though regarded as concept-based, ties its principles and ethics tightly with those of organic agriculture. Ferguson and Lovell (2013) states:

"The transition to diversified, ecologically benign, smaller scale production systems is addressed in the literature of agroecology (DeSchutter, 2010), diversified farming systems (Kreme et al, 2012) and multifunction agriculture" (Wilson, 2008)

In another study by Haluza-DeLay and Berezan (2010), it describes permaculture as "[a] movement [that] increasingly concerns itself with the domains of alternative economy, natural building, energy systems, water systems, ecological restoration, community development, education and spirituality."

Next Week: Ecology for the Masses: Permaculture as Feral Ecology

References:

Ferguson RS and Lovell, ST (2013). Permaculture for agroecology: design, movement, practices and worldview -  A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, INRA and Springer-Verlag France 2013.

Haluza-DeLay R and Berezan, R (201). Permaculture in the city: Ecological habits and the distributed ecovillage. Localizing Environmental Anthropology : Bioregionalism, Permaculturem and Ecovillage Design for a Sustainable Future. Berghan Books.

UPOU Organic Agri Fair on Jan. 22-23

The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems: Methods-Based AFS (Week 3)

Organic agriculture, biodynamic farming, natural farming, and ecoagriculture are four well-known methods-based alternative farming systems that rely on biological processes to fertilize the soil and protect crops from pests (Diver, 1994). They either minimize or completely avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Each system places a special emphasis on a particular aspect.

Organic agriculture is a response to chemical agriculture (another term used interchangeably for conventional and industrial agriculture) in the 1940s. It was influenced by the writings of J.I. Rodale, Lady Eve Balfour, and Sir Albert Howard (Diver, 1994). Though organic agriculture conceptually should not use chemical and synthetic inputs, some definitions imply that organic agriculture allows the use of synthetically-produces inputs in minimal amounts. Some methods and techniques common to organic agriculture are crop rotation, intercropping, mixed cropping, and mulching. Organic farms may or may not include animals within its system. Aside from agricultural systems, organic farming should also emphasize social goals (Schreck A et al, 2012).

Biodynamic farming is similar to organic agriculture in many ways but places greater emphasis on closed-system nutrient cycling, the lunar calendar, and awareness of spiritual forces within nature (Diver, 1994). The subscription farming method called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an innovation born out of the biodynamic movement (Diver, 1994).

According to Diver (1994), eco-agriculture or biological farming uses the Reams fertility system as the basis for crop production. The term "eco-agriculture" was coined by Charles Walters of Acres Magazine in 1970 to consolidate the concepts of "ecological" and "economical: (http://www.acresusa.com/eco-agriculture/).

Natural farming is a system developed in Japan that focuses on composting and making microbial ferments and concoctions as natural fertilizers.

Next Week: Concept-Based Alternative Farming Systems (AFS)

References:

Diver, S (1994). Permaculture and Sustainable Agriculture. Introduction to low-input sustainable agriculture. P. 152-158. Proceedings of the 13th Annual Oklahoma Horticulture Industries Show. Held January 7-8, 1994. Tulsa Jr. College-Northeast Campus, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Schreck, A., Getz, G. Feenstra (2012). Social Sustainability, Farm Labor, and Organic Agriculture: Findings from an Exploratory Analysis. University of California, Department of EPSM 207, Agriculture and Human Values

Job Openings in Organic Agriculture

Agricultural Systems Cluster, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Banos
URGENT HIRING: Research Assistant for January 18 - February 29 only. Preferably agronomy, horticulture, or agricultural systems major from UPLB. Please contact Dr. Blesilda Calub at 0922-269-9317.

Good Food Community, Inc. Quezon City
JOB OPENING: Farm Researcher for Good Food Community
Project: Learning and Accreditation Program for Organic Farmers
Project sites: Tarlac, Benguet, and Mt. Province
Office work: Work from home or at GFC HQ at Garden Heights Condominium Erod
Duration: 1 year
Tasks:
- data gathering
- profiling
- photo and video documentation
- newsletter
- Indiegogo campaign
Qualifications:
- Willing to travel (2 days to a week at a time)
- Good writing skills (being a writer or a blogger is an advantage!)
- Enjoys talking to people
- Good photography skills
- Understands and advocates organic agriculture and small-scale farmers
- Willing to be trained

Deadline for Applications: February 1, 2016
Please e-mail your updated CV at
hello@goodfoodcommunity.com,
CC: jabezjoshuaflores@gmail.com

The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems: Sustainable Agriculture (Week 2)

Any farming system that contradicts the industrial model of agriculture can be categorized under the banner of alternative agriculture (Padmavathy K. and G, Poyyamoli, 2011). Although categorizing these new (Freibauaer A. et al, 2011) systems under agriculture can be limiting since most, if not all, of these systems address natural resource management and lifestyle philosophies/values integrated with food production, community-building, and environmental care and ecology. Due to the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary nature of these systems and approaches, what causes more confusion is the myriad names these approaches are called. From the rational scientist to the casual reader, it remains a challenge to distinguish one practice from the other.

Diver (1994) describes sustainable agriculture as a long-term goal rather than a checklist of farming practices. It emphasizes the concept of limiting purchased inputs while managing on-site resources. Any farming practice adhering to this principle can be classified under the umbrella of sustainable agriculture. But due to it's broad scope, other alternative farming systems tend to distinguish themselves from other practices and adhere to more specific rules to uphold their own standards and practices. An example of this is organic agriculture and other methods-based alternative farming systems.

Next week: Methods-Based Alternative Farming Systems

References:

Diver, S (1994). Permaculture and Sustainable Agriculture. Introduction to low-input sustainable agriculture. P. 152-158. Proceedings of the 13 Annual Oklahoma Horticulture Industries Show. Held January 7-8, 1994. Tulsa Jr. College-Northeast Campust, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Freibauaer, A., Mathijs, G. Brunori, Z. Damianova, E. Faroult, JG I Gomis, L O'Brien, S. Treyer (2011). Sustainable Food Consumption and Production in a Resource-Constrained World. European Commission -- Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR), The 3rd SCAR Foresight Exercise. 

Padmavathy K. and G. Poyyamoli (2011). Alternative Farming Technologies for Sustainable Food Production. Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, Union Territory of Puducherry, India

The Rise of Alternative Farming Systems: Feral Ecology (first of a 5-part weekly blog series)

The emergence of alternative farming systems has been gaining popularity in the last decade and making its way into mainstream culture much faster than in previous eras. Thanks to "digital highways" (Morris, 2012), such as social media, these ecology-based farming systems countering the dominant industrial agriculture model (Diver, 1995) have found its way in the hands of individuals outside of the academe. Permaculture, in particular, has achieved international fame (Diver, 1995; Ferguson and Lovell, 2013). Morris describes how permaculture has spread in today's Society 2.0:

"Now its terms and techniques spread virally through YouTube videos, support and information exchange bulletin boards, blogs, national societies and local networks; its businesses and courses proliferate." - Morris, 2012

With issues such as climate change, food security, and biodiversity loss headlining the news, individuals and communities are searching for ways to address these issues by themselves. Alternative agriculture gives common people the power and knowledge to challenge the prevailing model of conventional (also called "industrial") agriculture. These alternative farming systems will be defined and discussed in this five-week blog series.

Despite alternative farming and permaculture's rising popularity in popular culture, there continues to be a lack of scientific research in these disciplines (Veteo and Lockyer, 2008 as cited in Haluza-DeLeay and Berezan, 2010). A so-called "feral ecology (Morris 2012) has come out of the confines of the gated scientific community and into the hands of the public thanks to the information-sharing power of the Internet. The perception of the scientific community towards permaculture continues to be negative due to its "feral" nature and the credentials of the people who practice it--those outside of the academe. This blog series will discuss the current standing of permaculture in the scientific community.

Ever since permaculture began in the 1970s, it has produced countless permaculture designers all over the world independently working on their permaculture projects. The overall socio-ecological impact of these projects have not yet been fully evaluated and researched within the scientific community (Ferguson and Lovell, 2013)

Next week: Sustainable Agriculture

References:

Diver, S (1994). Permaculture and Sustainable Agriculture. Introduction to low-input sustainable agriculture. P. 152-158. Proceedings of the 13th Annual Oklahoma Horticulture Industries Show. Held January 7-8, 1994. Tulsa Jr. College-Northeast Campus, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ferguson, RS and Lovell, ST (2013). Permaculture for agroecology: design, movement, practive and worldview - A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, INRA and Springer-Verlag France 2013

Haluza-DeLay, R and Berezan, R (2010). Permaculture in the city: Ecological habits and the distributed ecovillage. Localizing Environmental Anthropology: Bioregionalism, Permaculture, and Ecovillage Design for a Sustainable Future. Berghan Books.

Morris, FA (2012). When Science Goes Feral. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences