The Ends of Possibilities

“I think it’s so important for people to make connections and feel connected with everything, especially food, nature, medicine, health, and other people. Permaculture gardens bring together all of those things. It’s really a big collaboration of good intention and connectedness – permaculture is really about connectedness.” Hannah Logan, Student Garden Coordinator

The UMass Permaculture Initiative began in 2010 as a student-run project to develop a permaculture garden and edible landscape behind Franklin Dining Commons. Since the first garden, the initiative has expanded to five permaculture gardens on campus, relying on student and community volunteer work. Permaculture itself is a design system for creating sustainable landscapes that mimic natural ecosystems, fostering regeneration and resilience. The gardens on campus follow the permaculture ethics of People Care, Earth Care, Fair Share to promote an ethical physical and social environment.

UMass Permaculture functions as a subset of UMass Dining, with all funding for the initiative coming from the private dining service. The project is headed by Xochi Salazar, the Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens, with the support of two Student Garden Coordinators. The gardens provide accessible local food and herbal medicine for members of the community while also serving as an education tool for the values of permaculture. They connect students to food systems and the earth, allowing them to see where their food comes from.

Each decision in the permaculture gardens is made with the intention of upholding the permaculture ethics. With intentional decision making, UMass Permaculture is designing a sustainable and equitable community along with the gardens. They envision a community where members can apply the values of permaculture to their daily lives, living with mindfulness and care for others and the earth.