Permaculture vs Agriculture

Traditional agriculture and farming have been practiced by humans for tens of thousands of years. For centuries humans have reared cats and other animals to aid them in the process of agriculture. Our ancestors used to settle near river banks to have access to water and do agriculture and farming. But traditional agriculture comes with a lot of cons such as:

• Pesticide use which causes soil & groundwater pollution

• Very high yield time

• Water wastage

• Very little profit for the farmers.

Seeing these problems, the concept of Permaculture came into existence and Revillage is proud to incorporate it in its township.

Permaculture is basically a set of design principles that involves and focuses on utilizing the patterns and resources of nature and natural ecosystems. It's basically planning and building an area in such a way that all the elements and nature work in synchronization and harmony with each other.

Revillage is located next to 32 sq km of the rain-harvested lake and is surrounded by lush, green nature and wildlife. The homes at Revillage are built keeping the principles of Permaculture in mind.

Every element and function in the homes are related and connected and enable the homes to be self-sustainable.

Here's how the elements are utilized effectively:

• The electricity for powering the entire home would come from the solar panels that are installed with all the homes which are how Revillage is a completely off-grid community that gives the homeowners freedom and high standards of living.

• The spring water in the homes comes from the 32 sq km rain harvested lake and using the water from this lake would also ensure that its water doesn't overflow and gets wasted.

• All the homes have gray-water recycler installed in showers and kitchens that recycle the water and uses it for other purposes like watering the vegetation and the landscape.

• We are using all-natural construction materials for the homes, but since other materials had to be used for wiring and plumbing, we are planting small plants in and around the homes to make up for it and provide more greenery.

• Out of the 60-acre land, 40 acres are being reserved for growing organic, fresh produce for residents to consume that would be free from pesticides and harmful metals.

• The plastic waste produced by residents would be sold to recycling junkyards and some amount of paper waste would be sold as well to make compost.

• The outdoor activities like kayaking, camping, and yoga & art therapy are completely eco-friendly. The kayaking also offers a chance to the locals living near Revillage to make an earning by renting and selling sports equipment and promoting tourism.
  

Permaculture is governed by a few ethics and here some of them:

1. Observe and Interact 2. Catch and Store energy 3. Obtain a yield 4. Apply Self-regulation & feedback 5. Use and value renewables 6. Produce no waste 7. Design from patterns to details 8. Integrate don't segregate. 9. Use small, slow solutions 10. Use and value diversity 11. Use edges and value the marginals 12. Creatively use & respond to change Source: ethical.net

Difference between Permaculture and traditional agriculture: The main difference between traditional agriculture and Permaculture is the energy cycle and Permaculture are cruelty-free but traditional farming and agriculture use animals for various purposes.

Benefits of Permaculture over traditional agriculture:

• Cuts down living cost - If we take the example of Revillage township which incorporates Permaculture into its homes and surrounding, Any homeowner would be saving all the expense of electricity for a lifetime as the homes are solar-panel powered. The food bills would be 50-100% less as compared to city life due to the availability of in-house farming. The water bills would be significantly low as compared to city life and the residents would have access to ground-water and natural spring water from the lake nearby which is rich in essentials minerals and free from pollutants and contamination

• Less waste - Since all the elements power each other and everything is utilized so there is less wastage of resources and therefore less waste is produced

• Saves water - Since this technique uses harvested rainwater and recycled water, water wastage is minimal or zero

• Lesser Carbon footprint - Since Permaculture focuses on having a zero-waste lifestyle, it significantly reduces one's carbon footprint.

• Helps in controlling pollution - As Permaculture is basically about utilizing the nature around us responsibly, it makes sure that the area where Permaculture is being incorporated causes zero pollution.