The Sustainable [R]evolution Project

Permaculture in Practice in America

Not all of the sites below identify as permaculture sites, but we felt that each of them demonstrate permaculture principles in action in some way.  

1- Ashaninka Forest Wisdom School, Brazil

Since the 70s and 80s, a group of indigenous peoples, with the leadership of Ashaninka Apiwtxa village, have been developing methods of regenerating Amazon forest areas depleted by years of colonial occupation, and more recently, by the illegal actions of loggers. Strategies have included replanting degraded forest areas, re-introducing native species who were becoming endangered, and the creation of fruit orchards and medicinal herb gardens. The school is a center for education about sustainable techniques, in an effort to share and build alliances with neighboring communities

2-Earthhaven, North Carolina, USA

Founded in 1994, Earthaven is located on 320 acres in western North Carolina, dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture. We’re learning to practice ecologically responsibile forestry and agriculture; to develop natural building systems that sustain forest health, create jobs, and generate renewable energy through good design. We intend to become empowered, responsible, ecologically literate citizens, modeling bioregionally appropriate culture for our time and place.

3- Ecovillage, Ithaca, New York, USA

EcoVillage at Ithaca is an intentional community and a non-profit educational organization, developing an alternative model for suburban living which provides a satisfying, healthy, socially rich lifestyle, while minimizing ecological impacts. The village currently includes two 30-home cohousing neighborhoods, a third neighborhood (TREE) in the planning stages, organic vegetable and berry farms, office spaces for cottage industry, a neighborhood root cellar, community gardens and varied natural areas.

4- Gaia, Argentina

Gaia is located outside of Buenos Aires and is active in the Global Ecovillage Network and founder of the Permaculture Institute of Argentina. Its founding mission is the promotion of sustainable societies, mainly by creating human settlements based on the practice of Permaculture systems and methods.

5- Greater World Earthship Community, New Mexico, USA

This is a subdivision of homes built outside of Taos, New Mexico, that are completely off-the-grid and built of recycled tires and rammed earth. Their innovative design incorporates water catchment and passive solar greenhouses and has been replicated in thousands of houses across the globe.

6- IPEC, Goias, Brazil

The Instituto de Permacultura e Ecovilas do Cerrado (IPEC) includes 15 ecological buildings, composting toilets, water treatment system, ecological gardens, food forests, and renewable energy systems. Ecocentro IPEC has become one of the most important reference centers for sustainable living in Latin America, hosting permaculture and ecovillage design course.

7- IPES, El Salvador

The Permaculture Institute of El Salvador (IPES) was founded as an independent organization in 2002 by small farmers concerned to halt the destruction of their environment and way of life. Over the past 6 years, we have built a network of subsistence farmers who work with ecological farming methods. We have a training centre and 4 demonstration permaculture sites, the most important of which is the ecological community La Florida in the La Libertad department. Our aim is to train community leaders within poor rural areas to enable them to tackle the environmental crises that face.

8- Lama Foundation, New Mexico, USA

The Lama Foundation is a community associated with Ram Dass and the ‘60s countercultural movement in the U.S, and was a pioneer of the natural building movement, especially strawbale, cob and adobe. Lama has integrated permaculture into their core principles, and is an interesting model of an educational retreat center which is also home to long-term residents.

9- Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, California, USA

The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is a nonprofit organizing and education center and organic farm in Northern California’s Sonoma County. OAEC was founded in 1994 by a group of biologists, horticulturists, educators, activists, and artists seeking innovative and practical approaches to the pressing environmental and economic crises of our day. Much of the Center’s work addresses the challenges of creating democratic communities that are ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable in an increasingly privatized and corporatized economy and culture.

10- OPA, Salvador, Brazil

The Organization of Permaculture and Art (OPA) was created by multicultural artists and educators who combine their passion and belief in the arts and permaculture to offer sustainable solutions that empower people and their communities. OPA is based in the city of Salvador, Bahia, on the northeastern coast of Brazil. OPA emerged from the desire of combining permaculture and arts in order to build bridges between cultural, social and environmental sustainability in the urban setting. Its center in Salvador demonstrates innovative urban permaculture models, functions as a multi-purpose art space, and runs an environmental education project for at-risk youth that uses circus arts and theater.

11- Permacultura America Latina (PAL), Ecuador and Guatemala projects

PAL has worked with indigenous groups in the coastal, Andean, and Amazon regions of Ecuador and many initiatives have been organized, including land demarcation, school, and tree planting projects. In Guatemala, our work began in 1995 when the first permaculture design course was held in San Lucas Toliman in Lago Atitlan. Soon after, the Associacion I’jatz was formed to produce and distribute patrimonial Mayan seeds. A donated parcel of abandoned land was transformed into a beautiful demonstration of an integrated food forest garden. From this centre a womens group was formed, a small farmers cooperative organized and courses are regularly held for indigenous and campesino groups from throughout Mesoamerica. Permaculture principles are closely linked to traditional Mayan methods of working with land.

12- The Farm, Tennessee, USA

One of the most famous and long-lived communes established out of the ‘60s countercultural movement in the U.S., The Farm has evolved into an ecovillage incorporating permaculture principles, an international charity, and a world-renowned midwifery and birth center. It is involved with social and political movements and runs educational programs.

13- The People’s Grocery Urban Gardens, Oakland, California, USA

Cities are becoming important places for developing sustainable and locally-rooted food systems for meeting nutritional needs. Many low-income residents of urban areas, such as West Oakland, do not even have access to sufficient fresh foods. People’s Grocery grows and distributes local, organic produce through a network of urban gardens and micro-farms while providing jobs to Oakland youth.

14- The Permaculture Institute, New Mexico, USA

Located near Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Permaculture Institute was founded in 1997 as the sister organization to the Permaculture Institute of Australia. It came on the footsteps of the Permaculture Drylands Institute, formerly the leading permaculture educational institution in the US. Our mission is to promote sustainable living skills through education, networking and demonstration projects. We facilitate networking among permaculture groups and projects in NM/Southwestern region and beyond.Final del formulario