Permaculture is alive and growing in New Hampshire

Permaculture has taken hold in New Hampshire, which was evidenced by the 120 people who attending the showing of "Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective" in Franklin Thursday evening. The event was sponsored through Meetup's Permaculture Group. If you haven't joined Meetup you should. Simply log in and select your location and areas of interest. You will then be notified when events are planned that match your selections. It's a great way to find out what's going on in your community and to learn from other like-minded folks.

Todd Workman, one of the sponsors of the event, is leading an effort to revitalize the City of Franklin, using a permaculture approach. It's an ambitious project, within a city that has struggled economically, but if his idea takes off, Franklin could become a central New Hampshire destination worthy of attention from towns and cities across the country that have seen better days.

As an example of what's possible, the venue for the movie showing, Toad Hall has been repurposed as a gathering place for people to get together and discuss the possibilities for transforming the city into a place where people want to work, live and visit by taking advantage of the resources that already exist there, such as the Winnipesaukee River, Odell Park and a three mile multi-use trail that parallels the river. Walking into the building you know you have entered a unique space, as you move amongst the large metal art pieces in the shapes of insects, sea creatures and objects from outer space.

There was definitely a positive vibe in the room as people socialized before the showing of Inhabit.

The movie itself (see trailer on the main page of this blog) shows what is possible in agriculture and living when the goal is to improve the natural functions of the earth through practices that nourish each other, instead of just extracting what we need. Permaculture, uses the basic principles of nature to develop systems which will continue to thrive for decades, or even centuries. An example in agriculture is to grow a diverse variety of perennial plants which provide nutrients to the soil and each other so that external inputs of fertilizers and pesticides are not necessary.  It was exciting to see how individuals and organizations are incorporating these principles into their lives, from organic farming practices to composting toilets, to green edible roofs. And, it was also exciting to see such a large group of young people in New Hampshire coming to embrace these principles as well.