Permaculture Creating Community

Today’s KBT was on the subject of Urban Permaculture which interests me a lot probably because I can relate to it more than the rural setting. I’m specifically interested in the application of Permaculture that helps create healthy communities not just physically through nutrition and exercise but also mentally and spiritually through learning, social interactions and the opportunity for people to connect. Community Gardens seem to be the best example of this so far and I think the social aspect of them is a large part of what makes them successful and appealing to people especially those which are isolated which many older people are.

Another idea that might work could be a neighbourhood trading system which provides a platform or structure for members of the community to trade excess yield from their gardens with others for items that they might not have or to donate it to local charities that may benefit from it such as Meals On Wheels. This would enable people to diversify their diet, meet people in their community with similar interests and also give to the community. It could be expanded on with a trade in other items or skills. One possible way for this to be implemented could be with a local ‘swap meet’ or a ‘market’ where no money is exchanged.