Permanent Culture, or Permaculture, was conceived as a self-sustaining agricultural method, where agricultural systems are created to require minimal, or ideally, no external human intervention Online Permaculture. In modern days this term has been extended to describe a holistic way of designing self-sufficient and ecologically-balanced human settlements, which minimizes our dependence on industrial systems of production and distribution and promotes synergy and harmony among different components of our immediate environment.

Permaculture aspires to determine an ecological balance within the system. A properly balanced system is one that does not require external modifications and relies completely by itself resources, where one product is employed to feed another. As an example, a very simple permaculture farm is the one that uses its animal waste to feed its crops, which are used to feed the animals. At the same time, just enough crops and animal products (such as meat, eggs, etc) are generated to feed the human community. This kind of simple system can evolve as time passes and become a highly complex ecosystem of its own.

Permaculture utilizes some a well-defined pair of design principles:

1. Underlying permaculture is observation and planning: before creating a farm one must observe study and understand its natural components and how they connect with each other. One needs to think about the natural and artificial boundaries that define the system, in addition to the natural resources which are available within it.
2. Evaluating these parameters then contributes to the look, implementation and long-term maintenance of the permaculture system. The look is a very creative and innovative process that is really the main element to the success of the system.
3. Central themes in the look include the utilization of patterns, both natural (like a model of a trend or spiral, common in nature) or patterns helpful for a specific need (like a specific structure to minimize waste).
4. Permaculture often makes use of layers, in order to develop a harmonious and efficient utilization of space. As an example, layering different sized plants about the same soil patch will optimize space usage and allow a diverse and complementary eco-system to emerge.

How do we create and take advantage of permaculture? There are numerous resources, books, courses and online websites that teach individuals how exactly to improve their household and home-farming centered on permaculture methods. We are able to start from planting plants in a specific pattern, raising farm animals in a specific manner or collecting and recycling water for home use. There are numerous degrees of practicing permaculture and everybody can take advantage of its obvious advantages. And on top of everything, we reach preserve our environment and live harmoniously with our planet and its many ecosystems.