The We Are All Farmers Permaculture Institute hosts a hands-on permaculture design certificate course of service to the Appalachian and Piedmont regions over five weekends Jan - May. This year's students produced designs pro bono for Friendship Gardens, a high school in Charlotte, NC. On June 21, 2014 We Are All Farmers Permaculture Design Certificate students will follow up their designs with installation of key elements in a 25+ person Permaculture Blast (free workshop) for the community.

1. Garinger High School
Permaculture Design Project
Alisa Esposito
Joe Huss
Alex Livingston

2. Design Phase1  Observation
“Dozens of useful strategies may evolve
from your first simple observations, and
the site begins to design itself.”

3. Key site Observations
soil poor drainage clay compaction
run-off erosion rill gully
space slope a lot of water

5. Needed:
Soil Building
• Hugelkultur Mounds
• Mulching
• Compost

7. Needed:
Soil stabilization
• Cover crops
• Grade the field to level
• Redirect water into storage zones

9. Needed:
Drainage & Water Storage
• Berms
Direct Water
• Swales
• Pond
Store Water
• Water garden

10. Altogether…
1. Hugelkultur, mulching, compost to
build soil
2. Level field, plant cover crops to
stabilize soil
3. Use berms and swales to manage
water

11. Design Phase II: Zonation
“Zoning is about correct placement- positioning
things based on intensity of use; Zones can be
thought of as a series of concentric rings moving
out from a center point, where human activity
and need for attention is most concentrated, to
where there is no need for intervention at all...”

12. Where
permaculture
principles are
applied in creating a
harmonious,
sustainable
environment in
which to work, learn
and play.

13. Area
requiring
frequent
attention
and
visiting.
Zone 2: Greenhouse Area
Zone 1
Zone 2
Cover Crops

14. This is the wall of
dirt outside the
greenhouse door
and to the south.
The brown
dotted lines
represent the
top and bottom
of the sloped
wall. These
plants are edible,
shade tolerant
and will grow in
poor soils on a
steep slope.

16. Zone 3: Main Planting Beds
12 3

17. 1. Single Till: Till one time and not again; Do not step
on planting areas to minimize compaction
2. Mulched: Add hay, straw, leaves, clippings; Allows
soil food web to thrive, cools soil, prevents weeds
3. Low Hugelkultur: contributes to soil nutrients and
irrigation is less necessary or unnecessary
4. Keyhole beds: located at the corners

18. More Features
• 4. Orchard trail (trees and footpath)
along the periphery
• 5. Center: Tree Guild, Seating, or Bed
125 ft
75 ft Center Circle

19. Profile: Field and Orchard Path

20. Water
“The main concern is water, as it is both
the chief agent of erosion and the source
of life for plants and animals.”

21. Water Features
Goal: Redirect excess water from Zone 3 to Zone 1, for
storage in the pond.
Strategy: Build up berm downhill from baseball field
– 3 feet rise
• Direct water towards the pond with a ditch/stream.
• Possibility: Build a bridge over the ditch or a dam to
further control water flow.