S4ag Permaculture

---
name: s4ag-permaculture
description: "Permaculture design for farms, gardens, and land decisions. Use when the user mentions zones, guilds, swales, food forests, companion planting design, sector analysis, or says 'permaculture design', 'how do I lay out my land', 'design my garden', or 'integrate trees'."
allowed-tools: [Read]
---

# Permaculture

Permaculture is a design system, not a philosophy. It gives you a repeatable method for laying out a farm or garden so that every element — water, sun, wind, plants, animals — does multiple jobs and the whole system requires less energy to maintain over time. The central principle is that the right element in the right place, doing the right number of things, is more productive than any single high-input intervention. You are here because you want to make better land decisions — this skill structures that design process.

**How this skill works:** Each sub-tool pauses at a **Checkpoint** to confirm the assumptions it is about to build on before producing output. A design built on a wrong assumption wastes time and money — confirm the checkpoint before acting. Each sub-tool ends with **Next steps** — the skills worth running once you have acted on this one.

---

## Expert Lineage

*The thinkers whose frameworks underpin this skill — and what they specifically discovered that changes how you farm.*

**Bill Mollison — Permaculture: A Designers' Manual**
Mollison co-developed permaculture in Australia in the 1970s from observations of natural forest systems. His most actionable discovery: productive natural systems succeed because every element is connected to multiple others by energy, nutrient, and water flows — no waste exits the system. On a designed farm, you replicate this by asking, for every element: what does it need, what does it produce, and what else in the system can supply its needs or use its outputs? Any element that needs to be serviced entirely from outside the system is a design failure.

**David Holmgren — Twelve Design Principles**
Holmgren refined Mollison's work into twelve explicit design principles, the most useful of which for practical farm design are: observe and interact before acting; use edges and value the marginal; design from patterns to details; and integrate rather than segregate. His specific contribution is making explicit that the design process has a sequence — observation must precede intervention, and large-scale pattern planning (zone and sector) must precede detail (species selection). Starting with species selection is the most common permaculture design mistake.

**Toby Hemenway — Guild and Polyculture Design**
Hemenway's *Gaia's Garden* translated permaculture into actionable small-scale farm and homestead design. His specific contribution is the guild — a functional plant community designed around a central tree or productive plant, where each surrounding species performs a defined ecological service (nitrogen fixation, dynamic accumulation, pollinator support, ground cover, pest confusion). Guilds replace the companion planting guess with a structured functional logic: design for services, not species.

**Masanobu Fukuoka — Non-Action as a Design Principle**
Fukuoka farmed 1,200 square metres of Japanese hillside for over sixty years, producing yields that matched or exceeded local conventional farms with no ploughing, no fertilisers, no weeding, and no pruning. His provable finding: a natural system in balance does not need constant intervention — most farm labour inputs are remedial actions compensating for earlier disturbances. The design implication is direct: reduce disturbance, increase diversity, and the system tends toward stability. The first question before any intervention should be: what would happen if I did nothing?

**P.A. Yeomans — Sector and Water Pattern Analysis**
Yeomans' keyline design, while not labelled permaculture, underpins Mollison's sector analysis and water element design. His specific discovery: the keyline — the inflection point on a valley slope where gradient changes from convex to concave — is the natural distribution point for water across a landscape. By reading this line and designing earthworks along it, a farmer can move water from valleys to ridges, transforming a farm's hydrology without pumping. Permaculture sector analysis for water is Yeomans' methodology applied at farm design scale.

**Christine Jones — Living Roots and Soil Biology**
Jones' research on the liquid carbon pathway establishes why permanent ground cover and perennial root systems are the most powerful soil biology tools available. Specifically: plants allocate 30–40% of photosynthetic output through roots to mycorrhizal networks when those networks are intact. Permaculture's emphasis on perennial polycultures, permanent ground cover, and minimal disturbance is — in Ingham/Jones terms — the design system that maximises this biological carbon and nutrient pipeline. Every zone and guild decision has a soil food web consequence.

---

## Which tool fits

| You need to... | Tool |
|---|---|
| Map zones 0–5 and plan what goes where | zone-design |
| Analyse sun, wind, water, fire, pest flows across the site | sector-analysis |
| Design a plant community around a tree or crop | guild-design |
| Apply natural patterns (edge, keyhole, spiral) to layout decisions | pattern-language |
| Run a farm or land decision through the three permaculture ethics | ethics-check |

## Routing Decision

- **Starting a new design or redesigning an existing space** → zone-design first, then sector-analysis
- **Have zones mapped, need to decide what to plant where and with what** → guild-design
- **Have a layout in mind, want to improve the shape or edge of beds and paths** → pattern-language
- **Facing a land, purchase, or investment decision and want an ethics filter** → ethics-check
- **Unclear where to start** → zone-design first; it reveals what else you need

---

## Zone Design

*Maps the farm or garden into zones of use intensity and assigns elements to the zone that matches their management frequency.*

Zone design is the first layer of any permaculture design. It is not about what you grow — it is about where you grow it, determined by how often you need to visit it. High-maintenance, daily-attention elements go closest to the house. Wild or unmanaged elements go furthest away. The logic is energy efficiency: every unnecessary trip across the farm is time and fuel the system cannot recover.

**The five zones:**

| Zone | Distance from house | Use frequency | Typical elements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | The house itself | Constant | Kitchen, fermentation, storage, sprouting |
| 1 | Within easy reach — 10–30m | Daily | Salad leaves, herbs, chillies, eggs, compost, cold frames |
| 2 | Regular access — 30–100m | Every few days | Main vegetable beds, small fruits, beehives, chicken tractors |
| 3 | Infrequent management — 100m–300m | Weekly or less | Orchards, grain crops, fodder crops, larger stock |
| 4 | Extensive management — 300m+ | Seasonal | Managed woodland, silvopasture, grazing paddocks |
| 5 | No management | Never | Wild reference area, wildlife habitat, observation zone |

**Common placement errors to correct:**

- Eggs at Zone 4 (chickens belong at Zone 2 on a small farm — daily collection).
- Salad leaves at Zone 3 (they bolt or fail between visits — Zone 1 always).
- Compost at Zone 1 edge — input materials from the whole farm need to reach it; place at Zone 1/2 boundary.
- Fruit trees scattered at Zone 1 — pruning and harvest demand is manageable but the shade impact on vegetable beds is often overlooked.

**Process:**

1. Draw a rough overhead sketch of the property — house, access points, existing structures, roads.
2. Mark distance rings at roughly 30m, 100m, and 300m from the main entry point and house.
3. List every element currently on the farm (crops, animals, infrastructure).
4. List every element you plan to add.
5. Assign each to a zone based on management frequency, not preference.
6. Identify zone conflicts — anything placed in a zone that does not match its management needs.
7. Adjust the layout to resolve conflicts before building or planting anything.

**Zone boundary flexibility:** Real terrain — slopes, water, existing trees, access tracks — modifies zone boundaries. A greenhouse at 80m accessed by a direct path is effectively Zone 1. A vegetable bed at 30m at the far end of a barn with no direct access is effectively Zone 3. Design with movement patterns, not just distance.

**Soil food web note:** Zone placement is also compaction management. Routing foot and vehicle traffic away from productive beds preserves the fungal networks Ingham documents. Zone 1 should have hard paths or stepping stones — the beds themselves should never take foot traffic. Zone 4 and 5, where traffic is rare, are where undisturbed mycorrhizal networks develop deepest.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- How large is the property and where is the main dwelling or working base that determines zone centre?
- Which elements are fixed (existing buildings, roads, large trees) that cannot move regardless of zone logic?
- Who manages the farm — one person full-time, or a family with part-time attention? Access frequency assumptions change with labour.

Designing zones around an imagined version of the farm rather than the actual land and labour available produces a beautiful plan that does not survive contact with reality.

**Output:**
```
ZONE DESIGN — [Property Name / Date]

PROPERTY: [area in ha/acres] / [main access point]

ZONE 0 — [house / processing area elements]

ZONE 1 — [within [distance]m]
Elements: [list]
Justification: [why daily access needed]

ZONE 2 — [within [distance]m]
Elements: [list]
Justification: [why regular access needed]

ZONE 3 — [within [distance]m]
Elements: [list]
Justification: [infrequent management description]

ZONE 4 — [beyond [distance]m]
Elements: [list]
Management: [seasonal tasks only]

ZONE 5 — [location]
Purpose: [wild/observation/wildlife]

PLACEMENT CONFLICTS TO RESOLVE:
- [element currently misplaced]: move from Zone [x] to Zone [y] — reason

NEXT DESIGN STEP: sector-analysis
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **sector-analysis** (within this skill) — once zones are placed, map energy sectors (sun, wind, water) across them to refine placement.
- Run **guild-design** (within this skill) — use zone placement to determine which guilds belong at which zone.
- `/s4ag-earthworks` — if Zone 4 or 5 contains water management opportunities, design earthworks before permanent planting.

---

## Sector Analysis

*Maps the energy flows crossing the site — sun, wind, water, fire, pest, noise — and uses them to place, orient, and protect elements correctly.*

Sectors are the forces that come from outside the farm and flow through it. You cannot change them. You can design with them or against them. Designing with them means placing elements where the sectors support rather than damage them; designing against them means spending permanent energy on shelter belts, irrigation, or pest control that the sector analysis would have made unnecessary.

**The six sectors to map:**

**1. Sun**
- Track sun angle by season: summer arc vs winter arc are very different at latitudes above 35°.
- Shade sectors: identify what the existing house, trees, and structures shade at each season.
- Warm wall effect: south-facing walls (north in southern hemisphere) create a microclimate 2–4°C warmer — valuable for tender crops or early propagation.
- Practical rule: Zone 1 food production should be placed in full sun; trees should not shade it from the south.

**2. Wind**
- Identify prevailing wind direction (check local met data or ask a long-term neighbour).
- Identify secondary problem winds — cold northerlies in winter, hot desiccating summer winds.
- Wind solutions: hedgerow or windbreak at 2–5x its height on the windward side of the zone being protected. Dense coniferous windbreak stops wind; permeable mixed hedgerow reduces it — the latter is usually more appropriate.
- Wind danger: unsheltered polytunnels lose covers; tender crops die in frost pockets that form downslope of a solid windbreak.

**3. Water**
- Map where water flows in heavy rain — paths from high points to low, runoff channels, flood zones.
- Identify waterlogging areas and note their seasonal pattern.
- Mark high water harvesting potential — roof runoff, natural catchment points.
- The water sector determines earthworks priority and constrains where annual beds can go (waterlogged soil kills plant roots and destroys soil biology).

**4. Fire**
- In fire-prone climates (Mediterranean, Australian, Californian): identify the upslope and upwind fire approach direction.
- Fire sector design: low-water, low-fuel species on the fire approach side; no dry-grass clearings adjacent to structures; fire break design before permanent planting.
- In non-fire climates: this sector can be noted but deprioritised.

**5. Pest and wildlife**
- Identify where animal pressure enters the property — rabbit warrens, deer approaches, badger sets, neighbour's poultry.
- Map crop predation pressure by direction.
- Zone 1 should be easiest to protect; Zone 4 and 5 accept wildlife as part of the system.

**6. Noise and views**
- Less critical for most farmers; relevant for agritourism (→ `/s4ag-agritourism`) and residential integration.
- Dense planting between a road noise source and the living/working area can reduce noise significantly.

**How to map sectors:**

1. On the same base sketch used for zone design, draw arrows or shaded wedges indicating the direction and strength of each sector.
2. Mark positive sectors (beneficial flows — morning sun, gentle prevailing rain) differently from negative (cold wind, fire risk, pest entry).
3. Overlay the zones. Look for conflicts — where a negative sector crosses a Zone 1 area.
4. Design interventions: windbreaks, hedgerows, swales, or simply repositioning zone elements to avoid or harness the sector flow.

**Common sector mistakes:**

- Placing a polytunnel in a frost pocket (identified by the cold air drainage sector — cold air flows downslope and pools in hollows).
- Putting the vegetable garden on the shaded side of the house.
- Ignoring the water sector entirely until a flood event damages beds or undermines pathways.

**Soil food web note:** Sectors affect soil biology directly. Cold wind over bare soil desiccates the biological zone. Frost pockets kill soil organisms in shallow soils. Waterlogging causes anaerobic conditions that crash the aerobic food web. Sector analysis is a map of where the food web is most vulnerable — design permanent cover and protection accordingly.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- What is the climate — temperate maritime, continental, Mediterranean, subtropical, arid? Wind, sun, and fire sector priorities differ significantly.
- Is fire a realistic risk in this location? If yes, it becomes a primary sector, not a footnote.
- Has the user observed the site across seasons, or only recently? Sectors observed for one season are incomplete.

Acting on a single-season observation — placing beds based on one summer's sun pattern — misses winter shade, spring frost pockets, and autumn wind exposure.

**Output:**
```
SECTOR ANALYSIS — [Property Name / Date]

SUN SECTOR
Summer arc: [direction, hours of direct sun in key zones]
Winter arc: [direction, hours, key shade impacts]
Warm wall opportunities: [location and aspect]

WIND SECTOR
Prevailing direction: [compass direction]
Problem winds: [secondary winds, seasonal cold or hot winds]
Current shelter: [existing shelterbelts, hedges, structures]
Shelter needed: [where and what type]

WATER SECTOR
Runoff pathways: [describe high-to-low flow paths]
Waterlogging areas: [location, seasonal pattern]
Harvesting opportunities: [roof area, catchment points]

FIRE SECTOR
Risk level: [low / moderate / high]
Approach direction: [if applicable]
Priority actions: [if applicable]

PEST/WILDLIFE SECTOR
Entry points: [species and approach direction]
Most vulnerable zones: [Zone 1 or 2 elements at risk]
Protection needed: [fencing, netting, plant deterrents]

SECTOR CONFLICTS WITH ZONES
- [Zone 1 element] is in the path of [sector] — resolve by [action]
- [Zone 2 element] is unprotected from [sector] — resolve by [action]

PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS (in order)
1. [most critical sector intervention]
2. [second]
3. [third]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **guild-design** (within this skill) — use sector information to select species appropriate for each zone's conditions.
- `/s4ag-earthworks` — water sector findings directly inform swale and pond placement.
- `/s4ag-biodiversity` — windbreak and hedgerow interventions should be designed for dual habitat and shelter function.

---

## Guild Design

*Designs functional plant communities where each species performs a defined ecological service, reducing external inputs and increasing overall productivity.*

A guild is not a companion planting list. It is a functional community design where every species earns its place by performing one or more services for the guild as a whole. The central plant — usually a productive tree or shrub — defines the guild. Surrounding plants are selected to supply its needs: fertility, moisture retention, pollinator attraction, pest confusion, and ground cover.

**The seven guild functions:**

| Function | Purpose | Common species |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy | Primary productive element; light, fruit, or nut | Apple, pear, plum, walnut, alder (if nitrogen needed) |
| Nitrogen fixer | Fixes atmospheric N; feeds canopy via root turnover | Goumi, Siberian pea shrub, clovers, vetches, tagasaste |
| Dynamic accumulator | Deep roots mine subsoil minerals; deposit via leaf drop | Comfrey (K, Ca, Mg), yarrow (K, Cu), chicory (Ca, K) |
| Ground cover | Suppress weeds; retain moisture; protect soil biology | Strawberry, thyme, creeping thyme, white clover, nasturtium |
| Climber | Utilise vertical space; can fix N (bean) or produce fruit (kiwi) | Runner bean, kiwi, hop, nasturtium |
| Pest confuser / beneficial attractor | Mask host plant scent; attract predatory insects | Phacelia, dill, fennel, marigold, alliums |
| Mulch producer | Generate biomass for in-situ mulch and soil feeding | Comfrey, Jerusalem artichoke, miscanthus, deep-litter straw |

**Guild design process:**

1. **Identify the central productive element.** What are you trying to produce most — fruit, nuts, timber, fodder?
2. **List its requirements.** What does this plant need in terms of nitrogen, water, shelter, pollination?
3. **Select one species per function** that meets each requirement. Do not over-plant — a seven-species guild around each tree is sufficient and manageable.
4. **Check for conflicts.** Some combinations compete: allelopathic species (fennel, walnuts) inhibit many neighbours. Check before planting.
5. **Plan spacing.** The guild radius around a mature tree canopy is typically 1–1.5x the mature canopy radius. Ground covers start at planting; shrubs at 1–2m; nitrogen fixers at 1m on opposing sides of the canopy.
6. **Plan succession.** Some guild members (annual clovers, phacelia) are placeholders until perennials establish; plan their replacement in year 3–5.

**Example guild — apple tree in temperate climate:**

| Layer | Species | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy | Apple (named variety on semi-dwarfing rootstock) | Primary production |
| Sub-canopy | Siberian pea shrub × 2 | N fixation |
| Shrub | Comfrey × 4 (planted at drip line) | Dynamic accumulation, mulch |
| Ground cover | White clover (understorey) | N fixation, ground cover, pollinator |
| Climber | Nasturtium (annual, planted around base) | Pest confuser, ground cover |
| Attractor | Phacelia (annual, in guild gaps) | Beneficial insect habitat |

**Food web note:** Guild design replicates the conditions Ingham's soil food web needs: permanent ground cover stops desiccation of the biological zone; root diversity feeds diverse microbial communities; nitrogen fixers operate via bacterial symbiosis (Rhizobium) that depends on intact biology; comfrey roots access subsoil phosphorus made available by mycorrhizal networks. A well-designed guild feeds the food web as its primary fertility mechanism.

**Transition note for conventional farmers:** If you are starting from a conventional annual system, you do not need to convert the whole farm to guilds immediately. Start with one guild around one existing fruit tree. Observe it for a season before expanding. The ecological benefit is proportional to the scale you build — but starting small and observing is Holmgren's principle in practice.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- What is the climate zone? Some guild species (goumi, tagasaste) are frost-sensitive and will not survive hard winters.
- What is the primary production goal — is this Zone 1 intensive food production, or Zone 3/4 low-maintenance perennial system? Guild intensity and species selection differs.
- Is the user starting from bare ground, an existing annual system, or around existing trees? Establishment strategy differs significantly.

Designing a guild of tropical species for a Zone 5 climate, or a labour-intensive Zone 1 guild for someone with limited time, wastes both the design and the planting cost.

**Output:**
```
GUILD DESIGN — [Central Species] at [Zone]

CENTRAL ELEMENT: [species, variety, rootstock if applicable]
Production goal: [what it produces]
Primary requirements: [N, water, pollination, shelter]

GUILD MEMBERS:
Nitrogen fixer: [species] — [placement, distance from central]
Dynamic accumulator: [species] — [placement, harvest frequency for chop-and-drop]
Ground cover: [species] — [coverage area, establishment method]
Climber (if included): [species] — [support structure needed]
Pest confuser / beneficial attractor: [species] — [annual or perennial, planting density]
Mulch producer: [species] — [chop-and-drop frequency]

SUCCESSION PLAN:
Year 1–2: [establishment species and management]
Year 3–5: [transition as perennials establish]
Year 5+: [mature guild maintenance]

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS: [allelopathic risks, shade competition]

MANAGEMENT TASKS: [annual tasks for the guild — comfrey harvest, N-fixer pruning]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **pattern-language** (within this skill) — use pattern design to improve the layout shape and edge of the guild areas.
- `/s4ag-soil` — test biology under established guilds after year 2; food web improvements should be measurable.
- `/s4ag-agroforestry` — if guild design is being scaled to a full food forest or silvopasture system, apply the agroforestry framework.

---

## Pattern Language

*Applies natural patterns — edge, keyhole, spiral, mandala — to improve the layout, productivity, and maintainability of farm and garden designs.*

Natural systems create patterns because those patterns solve problems efficiently. A fractal edge increases contact between two systems. A spiral creates microclimate diversity in a small space. A keyhole maximises bed access while minimising path area. Pattern language is the toolkit for applying these solutions to farm design.

**The core patterns and when to use them:**

**Edge**
Edge is where two systems meet — forest and meadow, water and land, sun and shade. Edges are the most biologically productive zones in any natural system. Design principle: increase edge deliberately.

- Scalloped or curved bed edges create more planting surface than straight beds for the same footprint.
- Place water features at zone transitions, not isolated in one zone.
- Establish hedgerows and wildflower strips as productive edges between productive zones rather than around the perimeter only.
- Rule of thumb: 20–30% edge in a designed system is a minimum target for biodiversity and productivity.

**Keyhole**
The keyhole solves the access problem for circular or oval beds. A straight bed wider than arm's reach (typically 1.2m) requires walking on the soil to reach the centre. A keyhole notch cut into the bed allows access from a path to the centre without compaction.

- Standard keyhole depth: 0.8–1.0m into the bed from the path notch.
- Useful for beds wider than 1.5m, herb spirals, and any circular planting.
- Multiple keyhole notches in large beds eliminate the compaction problem entirely.

**Spiral**
The herb spiral creates at least six distinct microclimates within a 2m diameter structure — from dry and hot at the top (Mediterranean herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano) to cool and moist at the base (mint, watercress). It concentrates diversity in a small Zone 1 footprint.

Construction: build up from ground level using stone or brick; spiral path rises from outer base to inner peak; orientate the south-facing side (northern hemisphere) to the warm, sun-exposed aspect.

**Mandala garden**
The mandala — a circular design radiating from a central point with keyhole paths providing access — maximises the ratio of productive bed to path. Useful for Zone 1 intensive food production when ground area is limited.

- Central feature: often a fruit tree, herb spiral, or water feature.
- Radiating beds: narrower toward the centre (access from both sides); wider toward the outer ring (keyhole paths).
- One mandala of 6m diameter with four keyhole paths provides approximately 15m² of no-dig planting from a 28m² footprint.

**Sector overlap design**
Where two positive sectors meet — morning sun and sheltered microclimate, water catchment and frost-free slope — place the highest-value elements. This principle applies at every scale from garden bed placement to landscape-level zone design.

**Sheet mulching**
Pattern language includes establishment patterns. Sheet mulching — cardboard, then compost, then mulch — is a pattern for eliminating turf and weeds at ground preparation stage without tillage. Protects the food web, suppresses competition, and creates planting pockets at establishment.

- Minimum cardboard depth: 3 layers overlapping by 20cm to prevent breakthrough.
- Compost layer: 5–10cm of biologically active compost.
- Mulch layer: 10–15cm of wood chip or straw.
- Allow 6–8 weeks before planting to allow cardboard to begin breaking down.

**Food web note:** Pattern design directly affects soil biology. Curved beds with less compaction have intact fungal networks through the growing space. Edge zones create the biological diversity Ingham's food web needs — edge soil typically shows higher microbial counts than monoculture field centres. Sheet mulching establishes biology-building conditions from day one rather than requiring years of recovery.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Is this a new design on bare or weedy ground, or retrofitting pattern elements into an existing layout? Sheet mulching works for both; rebuilding existing straight beds into curves has a labour cost.
- What is the scale? Pattern language applies differently at 100m² vs 10ha. At large scale, keyhole beds are irrelevant; edge design along zone boundaries matters most.
- What are the materials available for construction — stone, wood, cardboard, compost? Pattern recommendations should match what is locally available.

Recommending stone spiral construction to someone without stone locally available, or curved beds to someone farming with mechanised equipment, produces an unusable plan.

**Output:**
```
PATTERN DESIGN — [Area / Zone]

SCALE: [area in m² or ha]
CURRENT LAYOUT: [straight rows / existing beds / bare ground / mixed]

RECOMMENDED PATTERNS:

Edge design:
[Where to create or increase edge — specific locations and methods]
Target edge increase: [approximate % or linear metres added]

Keyhole access:
[Which beds need keyhole modification — dimensions and position]

Herb spiral (if applicable):
[Location: Zone 1, [aspect], [approximate footprint]]
[Orientation: [direction for warmest face]]
[Species allocation by microclimate position]

Sheet mulching:
[Area to sheet mulch: [m²]]
[Materials needed: cardboard [quantity], compost [m³], mulch [m³]]
[Timeline: establish [month], plant [month]]

LAYOUT IMPROVEMENT SUMMARY:
Before: [brief description of current inefficiency]
After: [what changes and the practical benefit]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **guild-design** (within this skill) — once layout patterns are finalised, design the species communities that occupy each bed and zone.
- `/s4ag-soil` — sheet mulching areas should be followed by a soil biology assessment after year 1 to confirm food web establishment.
- `/s4ag-earthworks` — if pattern design revealed water concentration points or runoff paths, address them before permanent installation.

---

## Ethics Check

*Applies the three permaculture ethics — earth care, people care, fair share — as a filter on a farm or land decision.*

The permaculture ethics are not aspirational statements. They are a decision filter — three questions to run any significant land, investment, or management decision through before committing. They work best when applied to decisions that are financially or operationally significant, not to routine farm tasks.

**The three ethics:**

**Earth care** — Does this decision support or degrade the ecological health of the land?

Questions to ask:
- Does this action increase or decrease the soil food web's health over time?
- Does it increase or decrease the biodiversity of the farm system?
- Does it increase or decrease the farm's reliance on external inputs?
- If continued indefinitely, does it restore or deplete the land's productive capacity?

Practical test: imagine this decision made consistently for ten years. What does the farm look like?

**People care** — Does this decision support the health and wellbeing of the people involved — the farmer, their family, their workforce, and their community?

Questions to ask:
- Is this decision sustainable for the farmer — financially, physically, and emotionally?
- Does it improve or reduce the farmer's quality of life?
- Does it serve the community that depends on this farm — workers, customers, neighbours?
- Is it equitable — does it take unfair advantage of any person in the system?

Practical test: a decision that is ecologically sound but financially or personally ruinous is not a good permaculture decision. Earth care and people care must both hold.

**Fair share** — Does this decision consume more than the farm needs, and does it return surplus to the community or system?

Questions to ask:
- Does this decision capture and use resources efficiently, or is it extractive?
- Is there surplus produced, and is it being shared — with the soil, the community, or the ecosystem?
- Is this decision proportional — is the scale of extraction proportional to the need?

Practical test: overproduction that depletes land to produce market surplus that benefits only the owner fails fair share. A farm that returns to soil, community, and ecosystem as much as it takes is in fair share.

**Applying the ethics to a specific decision:**

The ethics check is most useful when a decision feels right on one dimension but uncertain on another. Common scenarios:

| Decision | Earth care issue | People care issue | Fair share issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Converting woodland to annual cropping | Reduces biodiversity, removes carbon store | May increase farm income | Depletes shared ecological resource |
| Installing a large irrigation system | Neutral if water source is sustainable | Reduces labour burden | Depends on water rights and downstream impact |
| Selling the farm to a developer | Removes agricultural land permanently | May provide financial security | Removes food production from community |
| Taking on wwoofers at minimum cost | Neutral | Exploits labour if not reciprocal | Fails people care if not genuinely educational |
| Clearing hedgerows for machinery access | Destroys habitat and edges | Reduces labour | Removes ecological infrastructure from landscape |

**Transition note:** The ethics check does not always produce a binary pass/fail. More often, it reveals which dimension of a decision needs to be redesigned — not whether to proceed, but how to proceed in a way that holds all three ethics. A decision that fails earth care can sometimes be redesigned to add an ecological restoration component. A decision that fails people care can sometimes be phased to reduce personal risk.

**Soil food web note:** Earth care, applied to any input or land management decision, translates directly to Ingham's food web lens: does this feed or kill the biology? Any input or management decision that consistently degrades the soil food web fails earth care by definition — it is mining the land's biological capital rather than building it.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- What is the specific decision being evaluated? The ethics check needs a clearly stated decision, not a general situation.
- What is the time horizon — is this a short-term operational decision or a long-term structural one? Fair share especially applies differently at different scales.
- Is there financial pressure shaping this decision that needs to be named explicitly? A decision made under financial duress requires the people care lens applied to the farmer first.

Running an ethics check without naming the actual decision produces a philosophical discussion rather than a practical filter.

**Output:**
```
ETHICS CHECK — [Decision being evaluated]

DECISION: [State the specific decision clearly]

EARTH CARE ASSESSMENT
Does it support ecological health? [YES / NO / CONDITIONAL]
Analysis: [2-3 sentences on soil, biodiversity, input dependency, long-term land impact]
Concern: [if any — what specifically fails and why]
Redesign option: [if conditional — how could this decision be modified to pass]

PEOPLE CARE ASSESSMENT
Does it support farmer/worker/community wellbeing? [YES / NO / CONDITIONAL]
Analysis: [2-3 sentences on financial sustainability, labour equity, community impact]
Concern: [if any]
Redesign option: [if conditional]

FAIR SHARE ASSESSMENT
Is it proportional and returning surplus? [YES / NO / CONDITIONAL]
Analysis: [2-3 sentences on resource use, returns to system, equity]
Concern: [if any]
Redesign option: [if conditional]

OVERALL: [PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL]
Recommended action: [proceed / redesign as follows / do not proceed]
Key redesign: [if conditional — the single most important modification]
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**Next steps:**
- `/s4ag-regenerative` — if the ethics check reveals the current farm system is failing earth care systematically, plan the wider transition.
- `/s4ag-finance` — if the ethics check identified a people care concern rooted in financial pressure, address the financial situation before the land decision.
- Run **zone-design** (within this skill) — if the ethics check cleared a land development or redesign decision, begin the design process from zone mapping.