This is a design for a smallholding for a couple with this fairly modest piece of land in SE Scotland who are aiming for as much self-sufficiency as possible. The couple already grows some fruits and vegetables but wished to create a design which would allow them to increase their resilience and self-reliance. The coupleContinue reading “Case Study: Aiming for Self-Sufficiency”
Tag Archives: resilience
Sustainability in Communities
Building a stronger sense of community is crucial for the transition to a more sustainable way of life. In the past, everyone belonged to strong local communities – everyone knew one another and it was normal to know all your neighbours. Few of us are lucky enough to be in the same position today. ThoughContinue reading “Sustainability in Communities”
Farming Subsidies
A recent UN report, which I wrote about recently in Treehugger has found that almost 90% of the subsidies given to farmers around the globe each year are harmful to people and the planet. Thinking about how we can overhaul current farming subsidies around the world is crucial to creating the future we all wishContinue reading “Farming Subsidies”
Sustainability and Practical Prepping
When many people think of prepping, unfortunate associations come to mind. People’s minds may travel to the extremes, where people have bunkers, weaponry, and stockpiles of food and supermarket supplies to last 20 years or more. To me, prepping is not about stockpiling or hunkering down for the ‘end of days’. To me, it isContinue reading “Sustainability and Practical Prepping”
How to Build Resilience: The Key Challenge for Farmers and Growers
Today we are experiencing a deluge, and some areas fairly close to us have experienced some flooding. And this comes after a spring that was very difficult for farmers in our area, with a late, cold start to spring, followed by a near drought. While dry weather in spring is quite common here, this yearContinue reading “How to Build Resilience: The Key Challenge for Farmers and Growers”
Hedging Bets and Avoiding Losses in the Garden
This week, I have been very grateful for the fact that I have built up some resilience in my garden systems, and have been careful, through permaculture approaches and careful planning, not to put all my eggs in one basket. We have had a very late and rather unexpected cold snap, with night time temperaturesContinue reading “Hedging Bets and Avoiding Losses in the Garden”
Prepping is Not About Doom and Gloom
Preparing for catastrophe, or prepping as it is often known has a bad rep. Many people, when they hear the term, think of survivalists stockpiling canned goods in their well-armed bunkers. But preparing for catastrophe, as I explain in this recent article about preparing for catastrophe in a permaculture garden, is not about fear-mongering orContinue reading “Prepping is Not About Doom and Gloom”
Village Creation in Permaculture
One of the ways in which permaculture seeks to create a co-operative paradigm and upholds permaculture ethics is through creating communities. When like-minded people congregate geographically, they are better able to meet their own basic needs in ways which are consistent with a permaculture way of life, and benefit from collaboration and the pooling ofContinue reading “Village Creation in Permaculture”
How Do We Fix Fragile Systems?
A fragile system is one which will break rather than bending. One which will fail to thrive when conditions get tough. One which cannot change and adapt to changing needs, but which is brittle and will not survive whatever the future brings. Fragile systems, both in the garden and in society, can be identified andContinue reading “How Do We Fix Fragile Systems?”
Power Cut and Snow – Building Resilience
Today we awoke a little late because the alarm clock did not go off. Looking out the window, we saw that it had snowed overnight – just a thin covering but enough to cause a few problems. We and lots of other households in our area are without power, and it will take them aContinue reading “Power Cut and Snow – Building Resilience”
EWSP Consultancy 