Comments on: When Orthodox Science Meets Permaculture Principles, Techniques and Design Process

By: Deano

Deano — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:36:39 +0000

Great article.
Some of the stuff about Black Soldier fly can be found in a book by Harvey Ussery.
Loved the Sea Buckthorn, and Nitrigen fixer facts.
Deano

By: Louise Doughty

Louise Doughty — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:17:07 +0000

Thank you for this article. It would be good to see more like this – applying findings from mainstream science into permaculture, as appropriate. I’m hoping to develop a forage system for our chickens and found the description of the food of jungle fowl more helpful than hypothetical chicken forage systems, that I’ve read about, that use plants that wouldn’t grow in my climate.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:09:35 +0000

Great article Nicollas.

for more info on Black Soldier fly there was a good discussion here…

http://www.permacultureforum.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=1478

here’s a link to plans for a Black Solider fly larvae automatic chicken feeder! http://gardenpool.org/?p=704

BSF larvae purge their guts before seeking a place to pupate (usually in the ground) the auto feeder (simply made from a plastic 50 gal drum) has a ramp out of the compost into a feed tray accessible to the chickens, when the larvae are mature enough to pupate, they purge their guts (hence these larvae do not taint eggs as house fly maggots do) and walk the plank looking for a suitable place to pupate, straight into the chicken feeding tray

There is a commercial BSF chicken feeder called the “BioPod” they also run a very informative forum, I won’t include a link here as it is a commercial company but you’ll find the forum etc. on google (the home made one in the link above seems just as good IMO)

By: Ella

Ella — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:57:06 +0000

Hey Nicollas,
I really enjoyed reading this, I would have never have thought to look in scientific papers to back up ideas used in permaculture. I do however disagree with your generalisation that “mainstream/academic science is reductionist — that is, to understand how things work, scientists break a system and study the tiny parts”. This statement is true for a lot of scientific disciplines. I’m studying environmental science at university, I don’t agree with everything that is taught in the course but my favourite subjects are easily ecology subjects, the study of ecosystems; although separate parts of the ecosystem are looked at individually it is also looked at as a whole and how the different biotic and abiotic components interact with one another, just like in permaculture. Climate science is also an academic science that looks at the bigger picture.
I’m a bit of a stickler for semantical errors so don’t mind me, but I do try to point out people’s false assumptions where possible. I am by no means disagreeing with what you are saying or trying to stick up for the modern scientific method but if permaculture is to become more mainstream and to become more accepted, our community needs to avoid making false generalisations or statements about the people/science/society to whom we are trying to show a different and more holistic way of life.
Good luck with your property and keep up the good work (: