Article 02 · Land & Farm Design
What Is Permaculture?
A grounded introduction to permaculture as a way of designing useful relationships among soil, water, plants, animals, buildings and people.
A Practical Introduction for Indian Farms and Gardens
Before planting, we usually ask what a crop needs. Permaculture asks us to look at what surrounds it too.
- Where will its water come from?
- Can crop residues become useful material for the soil?
- How will neighbouring plants affect it?
- Who will care for it, and how much daily work will that take?
At Dasot Organic Farms, we began practising permaculture in 2018, after several years of research and organic cultivation trials. It helped us look beyond individual crops and think more carefully about how the whole farm fits together.
1. Design the connections, not just the planting
Permaculture is a design approach that brings human needs and care for the environment into the same plan. On a farm, that means considering soil, water, plants, animals, buildings and people together.
Start with everyday decisions:
- Herbs near the kitchen: Easier to harvest and check regularly.
- An accessible compost area: Convenient for bringing materials in and moving finished compost to beds.
- Clear working paths: Less carrying, fewer unnecessary journeys and less walking across growing soil.
- Careful plant placement: Consider shade, water demand and the space plants will need as they mature.
These are simple examples, not a layout to copy. The useful question is: Does this arrangement help the different parts work together?
2. Keep three ethics in view
- Earth care: Protect soil, water, habitats and the living systems we depend on.
- People care: Consider the wellbeing, time and practical needs of those doing the work.
- Fair share: Recognise limits, use resources responsibly and share surplus where possible.
A productive design should also be manageable for the people maintaining it.
3. Observe before deciding
Holmgren's principle of "observe and interact" begins with getting to know the place through attention and practical engagement.
Take a notebook on regular walks and record:
- where sun and shade fall at different times and seasons;
- where rainwater enters, collects and leaves;
- which areas dry quickly or remain moist;
- what already grows well;
- where people walk, work and carry materials.
Date your notes. Photograph the same places again rather than collecting only new views. Over time, these small records make changes easier to recognise.
4. Design for your conditions
At Bholi, access to fresh water is a major constraint. Before deciding how much to plant, we need to ask how much we can reliably support.
Your starting questions may be different:
- Dry conditions: Is dependable water available through the difficult months?
- Wet conditions: Where does excess water go?
- A shaded garden: Which crops suit the light already available?
- Limited time: What can receive consistent care?
- A restricted budget: What useful materials and skills are already nearby?
Learn from neighbouring growers as well as books and videos. A successful technique elsewhere still needs checking against your own land. Major earthworks or changes to drainage require appropriate technical assessment.
5. Begin with one manageable experiment
You do not need to redesign an entire property at once.
1. Choose a small area and give it a clear purpose. 2. Record its starting conditions: Light, water access, existing plants and available time. 3. Try one limited change that you can observe and adjust. 4. Keep a simple diary: Watering, work, materials, harvests and problems. 5. Review before expanding: What should you repeat, change or stop? This puts the principle of small and slow solutions into practice: begin at a scale you can understand and maintain.
What the years at Bholi have taught us
After adopting permaculture in 2018, we saw encouraging results through 2021. Later, difficult weather patterns and shortages of fresh water challenged cultivation again. In 2023, we began working with Vriksha Ayurveda, adding another strand to our approach.
For us, those experiences belong in the same story. The encouraging years mattered, and so did the years that made us reconsider our plans. Permaculture does not remove the need for plant care, practical knowledge or further investigation.
Our reminder for every visit: What is happening here? How are the different parts connected? What needs attention now?
Start there. Spend time with the place, make one considered change, and return to learn from it.