Permaculture That Inspires You to Start a Vegetable Garden

Industrial agriculture is driven by consumer demand, and as consumers—that is, us—we always want to eat, so agronomists develop chemicals that enable a steady supply of produce to stores.

This assembly-line approach depletes the soil, and growing a single crop over large areas also has a negative impact on it. This doesn’t happen in nature. The panacea for all these problems, according to the founders of this new movement, is permaculture. Its core principle is to mimic natural ecosystems as closely as possible. LookBio investigated what lies behind the buzzword “permaculture.”

Forest… field… plow… and then silence

Forest—field—plow—desert—this is the cycle of a plot of land under the influence of deep plowing… “When we practice agriculture in the right way, we obtain nearly everlasting, fertile land,” wrote the American pioneer of this approach, Joseph Russell Smith, in his book *Clearing the Forest: Permanent Agriculture*.

Permaculture began to take shape in the 1930s. It all started with enthusiasts who were horrified by the abundance of chemicals poured onto fields in the pursuit of high yields. While these chemicals helped control pests, they were destroying the environment and sparked a desire to adopt more humane farming methods. The term “permaculture” is derived from the word “permanent” and implies that soil fertility will not be depleted.

The current head of the Hipp company, Stefan Hipp, recounts that his father, in the early days of developing their farmland, would go around to neighboring farmers and say, “We can’t treat the land this way—let’s do without chemicals.” Not everyone agreed, but some, like Hipp, managed to build a business on pesticide-free fields.

Life as an Experiment

According to permaculture specialist Valeria Bukina, permaculture is based on observing nature, an open mind, and a lack of rigid frameworks. For someone who chooses permaculture, life becomes an experiment, and the principles listed below serve as its foundation.

Observing nature and how it solves the challenges of fertility and survival. Building small, slow-growing systems that are easier to adapt to changing conditions and easier to maintain. Adhering to the principle that waste from one process is a source of energy or raw material for another, just as in the natural world. Prioritizing integration over separation. Preserving and increasing the diversity of living organisms within the system to achieve sustainability and balance.

Raised Beds and Soil Regeneration

Permaculture is beneficial because it allows you to reclaim the soil and grow crops on it. Imagine creating raised beds on your plot, which has been exhausted by plowing and potato cultivation. This oxygenates the soil. In these beds, you don’t grow just one crop, like carrots or parsley, but rather plant mixed crops. The symbiosis of plants doesn’t deplete the soil; on the contrary, it restores it.

Think More, Work Less

Growing a crop using permaculture methods proves the theory that you can always get a good harvest without titanic effort. It should grow on its own, just as it does in nature. Based on this principle, you think and act. For example, you’ve built a raised bed, but there’s no harvest. In that case, there are possible reasons why things aren’t working out. Perhaps the raised bed is positioned incorrectly and water is draining away instead of being retained; perhaps cold air is preventing the seeds from germinating; or perhaps neighboring plants are getting in the way. When faced with a problem, a farmer becomes a detective who gathers clues, formulates hypotheses, and tests them.

Gardeners, Farmers, and Alcoholics

Summer gardeners with extensive experience growing crops on small plots are very receptive to the principles of permaculture. They quickly understand how to make changes and what benefits they’ll gain from them.

It’s more difficult with farmers because, due to Soviet tradition, they’re focused on multiple crops and large harvests. Moreover, former collective farm workers are convinced that without vast fields planted with nothing but potatoes, the country cannot be fed. Permaculture offers a different solution and a different mindset, and that’s a challenge.

To this day, the generation of city dwellers who grew up in the Soviet Union has a dismissive attitude toward agriculture. When I tell my friends that I’m involved in agriculture, their expressions immediately change. Among professionals, farming has a very low status. Saying that you’re a farmer is almost like admitting that you’re an alcoholic

Professor Larionov and the Labor Textbook

The most well-known name in Russia associated with permaculture is Sepp Holzer. This Austrian has visited us more than once to lead seminars, advised farmers who practice permaculture, and founded the Russian Center for the Development of Holzer Permaculture.

However, the principles of this soil cultivation method were already being taught in rural schools some 20 years ago. Proof of this is a textbook found on John Kapiska’s farm in the Vladimir Region. The textbook was published in 1992 and explains how schoolchildren can create a garden based on the principles of permaculture. Of course, the textbook doesn’t use that specific term, but according to Valeria Bukina, it refers precisely to sustainable farming and the use of synergies between plants, insects, and the landscape.

The point is that permaculture is not a concept foreign to Russia, nor is it just a “grandma’s vegetable garden”—it is a scientific, systematic approach. One advocate of permaculture is Yuri Larionov, a professor at Novosibirsk Agrarian University. His book, *Organic Farming and the Law of Soil Fertility*, discusses how to feed the country and preserve the soil—that is, how to manage large-scale farms using principles similar to those of permaculture.

Holzer’s Recipe for Loamy Soils

As is often the case, we’re sharing a recipe. This time, it’s for gardeners with soils high in clay—loam soils that are hard to even dig up, let alone grow a crop in—which is a real feat. How do you build a raised bed under such conditions?

Holzer recommends building raised beds on such soils before winter. Turn the soil—even if it’s in clumps—and let it freeze. The harsher the winter—that is, with temperature fluctuations, rain, and snow—the better. The main task is to add everything necessary to the raised bed (what exactly is needed is a separate discussion), cover it with clumps of soil, and watch as the frost and unpredictable weather transform the soil. Based on Holzer’s experience, by spring you’ll have normal soil. If you don’t, it means the soil is in very poor condition and you’ll need to consider other options.

In our view, permaculture is a wonderful and fascinating pursuit. If you thought that 4 or 6 sotok wasn’t enough space for experimentation, we hope we’ve convinced you to give permaculture a try. Proponents of this method promise bountiful harvests, and if you start raising chickens, the Danilovsky Market will gain a new farmer.