First of all, I want to say that we at Spruce Permaculture stand with those working against racism, discrimination and police violence, especially people of colour leading the movement for equity, justice and a new standard of community care.

You might be surprised by the thought that a social movement like Black Lives Matter has anything to do with permaculture. Permaculture is about growing food, regenerative work with the land and designing sustainable spaces, right? 

Sure, but that’s not the whole picture. 

One of the central ethics of permaculture is “Earth Care” which speaks to our need to protect and regenerate ecology. This asks us to grow food, build homes and live meaningful lives in harmony with nature’s patterns. 

The other two ethics of “People Care” and “Fair Share” don’t always get as much attention. 

“People Care” speaks to our ethical imperative to protect and grow the communities that support us. In the same way that we rely on watersheds, healthy soils and clean air; we also rely on the networks of people that educate, heal, protect, love and fulfil us. “People Care” means equity of opportunity, access to the resources necessary for a thriving life, radical inclusion and restoring historical imbalances. 

“Fair Share” is a beautiful ethic that is most often overlooked. “Fair Share” asks us to recognize our abundance by sharing it with those in need. It is only by giving -not hoarding- that we recognize how much we have. This ethic is about returning surplus to the soil, water, plants and animals who partner in our agro-ecological systems. It is also about sharing food, time, money, attention, understanding and energy with those people and organizations that form our social systems. 

I believe that permaculture is fundamentally a philosophy of social justice, social change, equity, generosity and inclusivity. There are a few permaculture principles that really speak this to me:

We're excited to have you all on this journey with us!