Routines of Forest Life: Gardening, Cooking and Building

Permaculture and regenerative farming involve working with the land in a circular manner, promoting sustainability and biodiversity. It focuses on creating balance and harmony with nature, using practices such as composting, crop rotation, and natural pest control.

Chickens and goats play important roles in a permaculture garden. Chickens help by eating food waste, scratching the soil to create mulch, and providing fertilizer with their poop. Goats help by clearing weeds and their poop adds valuable nutrition to the soil.

The knowledge of how to grow food is within all of us, just like the instincts of goats or the land of the trees. While this immediate connection to the land may have been lost in recent generations, we can still tap into it by viewing the earth, weather, and engaging in activities such as cooking, eating, and growing our own food.

Regenerating the rainforest and eliminating invasive species, such as lantana, camphor laurels, and molasses grass, helps restore the natural balance of the ecosystem. It reduces fire hazards and allows native species, such as red cedars and gums, to thrive and grow freely.

Chickens are great in the garden as they naturally compost, scratch up mulch, and fertilize the soil with their poop. By imitating and honoring nature through the help of chickens, we can practice no-dig gardening techniques, sequester carbon in the soil, and maintain a healthy microbial balance.