How to use permaculture Zones? The Best Way to Design your Homestead, Home or Kitchen for MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY

by using Permaculture ZONES 

In my last Blog I spoke about Permaculture Zones – read it here. Today I am going to use these magical zones to help make my property more efficient.

Picture this: a typical corner block in suburban Australia, quarter-acre with a 70’s house and a HUGE shed/workshop and some beautiful rose bushes. It’s brimming with potential and ready to be transformed into a homestead full of sustainable abundance. Today we are going to use Zones, so let's get started!

HOW TO USE PERMACULTURE ZONES

Step 1: Observe Reality! It’s important to start with what actually already occurs day to day. It’s not a theoretical exercise about what you want your property to look like, it needs to be what you actually do otherwise it wont make your life more convenient!

So observe yourself and your family. Draw on the map where they go multiple times a day, daily, weekly, monthly, occasionally/seasonally, I used a different color for each time category. I just used a screenshot from google maps, but you can draw a quick sketch from memory or print a topo map, it’s up to you! Remember the zones are just a guide to help your thinking, just like nature it’s not rigid and absolute, they are a tool to help you design a more useful property plan.

Step 2: Then write down the chores that need to be done using the same groups “multiple times a day, daily, weekly, monthly, occasionally/seasonally.” I used the same color codes as I used on the map to make it easy. I have a free printable you can use! I find it is better to be more detailed rather than less.

Step 3: Then write next to each chore what equipment or infrastructure you need to make that chore easy. For example, I feed/water the chickens and collect the eggs every morning, that is a daily task. I go to the coop to do this and I need the kitchen scraps, the fermented feed, clean water and a basket or pocket for the eggs in order to do this. If you want to learn the lingo - In permaculture they call this “observe the patterns of human activity and the needs of different elements”.

Step 4: Ok, so you have your map and your list. Now if the fun part. Design your Zones! Start putting the equipment, chores and infrastructure onto the map in the correct zone. So for example I had the chore of fruit tree pruning once per year, so I put the fruit trees into zone 3. Consider factors like proximity to your home, the frequency of visits, and the intensity of management required. Move things around to see what results. Its all on paper for now so experiment! You might find that it makes more sense for the fruit trees that are susceptible to pests to be in zone 2 with your productive veggie garden so you can check them every week instead of up the back in a separate orchid.

Remember, permaculture zones are just one tool in the permaculture tool box to create a harmonious and efficient system that works with nature. By understanding and utilizing these zones as well as all the other permaculture ideas, you can design your homestead in a way that maximizes productivity, minimizes effort, and enhances the overall sustainability of your space.

So I have done up a quick sketch of the zones on my suburban lot. As you can see it’s more blobby and stringy than concentric circles. But it’s helpful because I can see the kind of dead zone behind the shed which I have made zone three because I never go there, and currently have nothing growing there - but perhaps it’s prefect for mushrooms? That’s a typical zone 3 activity! Why not pull a screenshot from google maps and draw where you walk every day, week and month to figure out your zones?

You can use this process for other things too, even if you don't have a small holding or farm. I use it in my kitchen to help keep it organized and efficient. Just go through the four steps above using kitchen chores, like making yogurt, fixing dinner, emptying the trash etc. Here is a picture below to help you figure out the zones! 

Using permaculture to design is a long and iterative process, so don't forget to observe, learn, and adapt along the way! Experiment with different plant combinations, observe the sunlight patterns, and listen to the needs of your garden. With time and patience, your permaculture property will become a thriving haven of sustainability, providing you with an abundance of fresh food, beauty, and connection with nature.