Richmond Permaculture Network - Evaluate

I sent the list of six questions out to five people who live in the town. I have collated their answers and given a summary of their responses to each of the questions.

Permaculture, is this a new term for you or one you are familiar with? Please elaborate if you are familiar with it to help me recognize your level of understanding.

Answers: “Yes, I've heard of permaculture. I think it's about using land, so everything helps each other grow and nourishes the soil and that water is used to irrigate in the most efficient way using slopes and channels.” “Familiar with it but don’t have a huge understanding about it.” “Not really, just from what you have explained to me.” “I believe it is the way of a self-sufficient growing means.” "Permaculture is a way of creating natural ecosystems for growing food. That's my interpretation of it."

Other than hearing the words spoken by me, four people had heard the word permaculture being used, but people's understanding is limited.

Are you growing any of your food, and if so, where do you grow it? (Garden, allotment, in the house, etc.)

Answers: “Yes growing some beans, peas, potatoes, Chard, squash, strawberries, and lettuce in tubs with wild strawberries, raspberries, an apple, and a damson tree in the garden.” “Yes – greenhouse at home.” “At home, pear tree, potatoes, rhubarb, and raspberries.” “The odd tomato plant, I’ve grown peppers in the past and garlic.” "Yes, we are growing food in our garden and greenhouse."

All people are or have grown some of their food, growing in their gardens at home seems popular.

Do you have an interest in a solutions approach to sustainable living and self-reliance, one that delivers meaningful results through diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems?

Answers: Yes = 4 No = 1. Two comments “Yes, because it's better to rely on yourself than corporate shops and the government.” "We do have an interest in sustainable living and self-reliance."

Sounds promising.

Are you interested in creating healthy environments and lifestyle abundance by mimicking the patterns and relationships we can find in nature?

Answers: Yes = 5, Two comments “Yes, because there's a lot to learn from nature as it adapts and overcomes.” "Yes, we are interested in healthy environments in nature."

Yes, from all

Are you interested in being part of a learning, sharing, and action network focused entirely on Permaculture?

Answers: Yes = 4 No = 1

From the above questions, does anything stand out that is of interest, or you have experience with, or would just like to learn more about?

Answers: Yes = 3 No = 2. Three comments “Yes, I would like to know how to become more self-reliant and to begin to incorporate a growing area in my garden using such principles, starting at a basic level with the scope to expand and improve once I have a greater knowledge of permaculture.” “Lifestyle abundance.” "Interested in all of the above."

Conclusion

I apricate I’ve asked people who have already shown an interest in what I’m doing regarding permaculture and their thoughts about being part of a network, so their answers are as expected. At the same time, these are the very people I would like to be part of such a network. What I’m not doing is targeting passers-by to convince them permaculture is going to save the world. There are enough preachers out there touting a cause without me getting my orange crate out proclaiming I know the way to enlightenment.

To summarise, there is a lack of understanding of what permaculture is, whilst at the same time a wanting to learn more along with connecting with others in the town who are also interested in such things.

SWOC is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges. I'm using it here as a tool to focus on key areas to help me move the design forward.

Strengths

Experience in permaculture design
Experience with website design
Experience in growing plants
I Have two gardens to use as examples of permaculture design
I know the local area quite well
Good communication skills
Self-motivated

Experience in permaculture design – Something of a must if I’m going to set up a local permaculture network in the town

Experience with website design – This will be very useful in giving the network a place to promote who we are and what we are doing.

Experience in growing plants – Very handy when talking to others about growing plants.

I Have two gardens to use as examples of permaculture design – People will be able to visit the gardens to get a better understanding of how permaculture designs can be implemented.

I know the local area quite well – Knowing the local area is of great benefit for permaculture designs. It’s also good to know when talking to other people the area of the town they are talking about. As strange as it may seem in a town this small, one part of the town can be covered with snow whilst another part has none. The same with frosts, living on a hill I don’t get too many frosts, whilst the people by the river get quite a lot.

Good communication skills – Having good communication skills is going to be fundamental in setting up a local permaculture network.

Self-motivated – Not knowing anybody else in the town who is currently practising permaculture, being self-motivated will play a very important role in moving this design forward.

Weaknesses

Currently only me

Currently only me – Somewhat of a weakness, but not enough to stop the design from moving forward and expanding with other people getting involved.

Opportunities

Richmond and the dales is a large area with lots of people
Currently no other local permaculture network
Lots of gardens and gardeners
People showing interest in my gardens
I know people with no garden who would love to be able to grow their food

Richmond and the dales is a large area with lots of people – Out of 53,244 (2018) people living in Richmondshire alone, I’m guessing I’m not the only person who would like to look at ways to provide local people with access to sustainably produced, nutritious local food. I’m also guessing there are more people like myself already producing food in sustainable systems that would like to not only share what they are doing with other local people but to help them design their systems.

Currently no other local permaculture network – Why wait for somebody else to do something I’m already capable of doing?

Lots of gardens and gardeners – We have lots of gardens and lots of passionate gardeners in the town. With everything that is happening in the news regarding climate change, now is a good time for these gardeners to think about how they can start to replace their ornamentals with edibles.

People showing interest in my gardens – My back garden is next to a public footpath, lots of people passing by often talk to me about my garden and show interest when I talk to them about permaculture. To be able to offer them ways to use permaculture design in their own lives may be of interest to some of these people.

I know people with no gardens who would love to be able to grow their food – Some people have gardens and do not have any interest in gardening or the time to grow their food. To have an agreement with somebody who wants to grow food but has no garden could be of benefit to both parties, with costs and yields shared between them.

Constraints

My own time becoming too stretched

My own time becoming too stretched – One person can only do so much but there are always ways.

I started this section by stating that “there is no reason why I should not press ahead with a local permaculture network in Richmond”. In concluding this evaluation section, I’m sure you will agree there is an opportunity for such a network in the town. I have all the skills to set one up, once I’ve completed this diploma, I will have more time available that can be channelled into the network.

For now, it would be a good idea to build the framework that will hold the network together. This will include a website with a little information as to the aims of the network and allow people to register their interest.