What Is Permaculture?
Permaculture is an ethical system of design for creating sustainable human habitats by mimicking patterns found in nature, no matter where the place is and no matter how big or small it may be. Permaculture also embraces these three ethics: Care of Earth, Care of People, and Reinvestment of Surplus back into care of earth and care of people.
Kinstone and Permaculture
Kristine Beck bought these 30 acres in 1994 from her parents. They were old hay/corn/oats fields and pasture that supported the small family dairy farm. She let them lie fallow until 2011 when she began manifesting Kinstone. In 2010 she was talking to her nephew, Kevin Kihslinger about the land. He told her about permaculture and suggested it may be a way to help engage with this steep, north-facing, fallow land. Kevin told her about Wayne Weiseman, a permaculture consultant and teacher based in Southern Illinois with a certain ability to get in touch with the “spirit of place”.
Permaculture Principles and Methodologies
Permaculture is a system of design. The permaculture designer has available to them a set of ethics to follow and they also have certain principles and methodologies that guide them in their work. Kinstone has been designed and developed using these ethics and principles as a basis for design ideas and decision making. David Holmen, a co-originator of permaculture, has distilled a large number of principles into 12 main concepts. Wayne Weiseman, author, permaculture consultant, teacher and designer, has developed a larger list based on the teachings of Bill Mollison, a co-founder of permaculture.
Click the links below to see these lists of principles and methodologies. See how many you recognize in your own relationships with your living space.
Scale of Permanence
The Scale of Permanence is a list of landscape characteristics that anyone can use as a tool to analyze a site. The characteristics are ranked in order of how long they persist over time and how much effort is required to alter them. It gives a good structure for reviewing a design site and a way to think through how to design in collaboration with the prevailing conditions.
The Scale of Permanence that has been used at Kinstone is shown below. This one, commonly used in current times, is based on the original scale developed by P.A. Yeomans in the 1950’s and then modified by Bill Mollison (co-originator of Permaculture) and later by Dave Jacke (author, ecologist, permaculture teacher and designer) and others:
- Climate
- Landform
- Water
- Access and circulation
- Microclimate
- Buildings and infrastructure
- Zones of use
- Soil
- Aesthetics
- Other factors: Culture, Economics, Political, Social, Spiritual
The first factors of Climate and Landform are more or less fixed and one usually cannot change them. The other characteristics are somewhat more flexible and by modifying them one can accomplish a thoughtful and elegant approach to site development.
More information about the scale of permanence can be found at the Permaculture Research Institute – Scale of Permanence.
What’s Happening @KinstoneCircle
Our Mission
Kinstone blends conscious care of Earth with art to form sacred spaces that invite and inspire people to connect with and experience the creative power of the land to transform, energize and ultimately revive the whole person.
Visitor Comments
“What a wonderful, magical place!” ~Marcy K, Madison, WI
“Tranquility and amazement. Thoroughly enjoyed the energy.” ~Martha L., Eagan, MN
“This place is a blessing to all those who enter.” ~Cecilia M.