For those that don't know Permaculture came from the idea of permanent-agriculture in the 1970's during the oil crisis. A few people in Australia got together to develop a way of growing food that doesn't rely on oil and is therefore sustainable and very efficient. The idea has developed all over the world through time so it can now be applied to any situation in life. In a broad sense, it is about using patterns that exist in nature to your advantage, to create sustainable living, maximum output with minimum input. This concept can be applied to farming a field, your allotment, your window box, your working life, a city or a housing project. The Permaculture Association run design courses in Leeds and Hebden Bridge that run for one weekend a month for seven months and I am currently in the middle of one. The design course gives you all the tools to design any system (as I mentioned above) in the most sustainable way possible so that it is efficient, doesn't waste resources and can be sustained for a period of time. The teaching on this course is progressive and interesting. We are outside some of the time and hardly ever sitting listening to a lecture. If everyone knew about permaculture and followed its principles then the world would be a better place and we wouldn't feel the impending doom of climate change. The principles are not dogmatic - the idea is to adapt the concept to each situation. The Permaculture Association's headquarters exist in Leeds. It is a national charity that aims to educate people about permaculture. For more information check out the website. read more