TheLewisvillePermacultureCenter
Donation protected
What if you could do something to actually help your local community? What if you were able to put your dollars to use to not only help your generation, but aid generations to come through sustainable living?
"the true modern smart farming" - Permaculture / Polyculture Design
My goal, with your help, is to establish "the true modern smart farm" that will create a self-sustainable landscape with an edible food forest, multi functional edible landscape design and animal systems. After Established as a non-profit organization this property will then be opened to the local community as a facility that not only educates current and future generations on earth care and people care through permaculture design, but donates surplus of foods to local needing families, schools, food pantries, shelters etc. My future goals with this money and education will be to create and expand permaculture designs into the city of Lewisville, NC with community gardens, farmers markets etc. As well as introducing Permaculture into schools in the surrounding area, and eventually into other cities within Forsyth County.
I have seen other cities within the state implementing this concept and providing available food forests/community gardens for the local communities like in Greensboro. For example, Winston-Salem is ranked as second in the highest growing childhood poverty in metropolitan areas, 39% of residents live in abject poverty, 147 Winston-Salem Forsyth County School students are listed as homeless, and over 54% of students within the school system receive free or reduced lunches (2011 http://www.forsythunitedway.org/basic-and-emergency-needs-homelessness.cfm ). With this number growing it is important to not only educate the community, but to help provide opportunities for families who live in poverty to have access to healthy food options. Permaculture can provide a self-sustaining system that provides food along with many more needs and can be implemented into rural, suburban, and urban areas with ease where people can get healthy foods to help feed their families.
With your help we can implement permaculture design into school systems and not only educate students about beneficial environmental systems and how one supports the other, but students will be able to see the process in action. Schools can also enjoy the foods that they grow and donate excess food to families that are in need.
My initial plan begins with setting up a small scale project on 10 acers that will be able to help feed dozens and potentially hundreds of families with fresh organic/local/seasonal produce. Additionally, I will be able to provide an example for all to see and for others to get hands on experience in order for me to expand this knowledge further into the community.
So What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture.” It was developed in the 1970s by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist and University of Tasmania professor, and his student David Holmgren as an agro-ecological design theory to confront destructive agro-business practices. It attracted a large international following which became an international movement seeking to establish an alternative culture. The concept has since expanded to become a fully holistic design process for creating sustainable human habitats, and there are now permaculture groups, projects, associations, and institutes established all over the world.
Theory and principles of Permaculture
Eco-friendly house placement and design
Energy conservation techniques for all climates
Recycling and waste management
Organic food production
Water/Rain harvesting and management
Ecological pest control
Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Drought-proofing landscapes
Soil rehabilitation and soil erosion control
Livestock management
Aquaculture
Catastrophe preparedness and prevention
Windbreaks and fire control
Organizer
Russell Bailey
Organizer
Lewisville, NC
