Permaculture is much more than just a concept to us here at Naked Dates: it’s a way of living, farming, and connecting to nature and our community that creates a closed loop of sustainability. In other words, it’s a harmonious assimilation of landscape and life forms that connects food, shelter, energy, waste systems, community, and design principles in such a way that each element feeds the next in a sort of symbiotic process.
It’s about working with, rather than against nature. It’s about allowing natural systems to function in their most natural way, and integrating other systems that will support its evolution. It’s about beneficial design – but beneficial in a way that is not just beneficial to humans, but beneficial to the larger ecosystem that it exists within. Earth Care – People Care – Fair Share
Rethinking Our Relationship With Nature
Today, there is a dire need for a rethinking of the way we approach agricultural practices – and in reality, all of everything that we do – in order to return to a more natural and regenerative way of existing. Almost everything that we (as humans) do in the world is directed toward the sustenance of our own species, and with little thought to others with whom we share the planet. In many cases, this drive to “improve” our lives have resulted in the displacement or extinction of entire species, or entire ecosystems that can no longer live in their natural habitats.
In reality, every single thing we need to survive has been provided for us on this earth. Medicines, food, places to live, it’s all here – but without a better understanding of how it all works together, much of it won’t survive. We’re already seeing the results of the collective disrespect of the circle of life: holes in the ozone layer, dying coral reefs, melting polar ice, water contamination, superbugs, animal species appearing in places they shouldn’t ought to be … all in the name of comfort, industry, or making things “better” for a handful of people. Interestingly enough, that handful of people are doing just fine by their own summation, while elsewhere in the world, entire populations are dying off. 
Getting a Grip on Greed
It is unfortunate that we really can’t do much for the environment or for nature if we don’t somehow get a grip on our collective greed – that need that makes us look beyond what we’ve been provided in search of something that is going to taste a certain way or make us feel better about ourselves. Whether that is building a resort in a rainforest, or polluting clean water sources with petroleum, it’s never going to stop being an issue unless we all learn to respect the cycle of life and design our lives around that, and not around our neediness.
I say “we”, by the way, as a reference to the human race, not to our family, specifically. Here on the farm, we (our family, which includes everybody who works on the farm) work hard to embrace the concept of permaculture, and are doing our best to shape our lives around nature, rather than forcing out nature in order to accommodate our lives.
These principles include:
- Eating what is in season, what’s grown locally, and eating organic foods wherever possible
- Buying and trading foods with other local farmers in the community
- Not disturbing the balance of the natural ecosystem or displacing any other living being or species
- Rebuilding, rehabbing or re-establishing damaged natural systems to their natural states
- Relying on natural water capturing and conservation techniques to nourish our gardens and orchards
- Returning all wastes (as compost) to nourish our soils, plants, and trees
- Designing our systems and procedures around these principles in order to keep the circle unbroken
Every Effort Counts 
I don’t mean this to be preachy in any way – although maybe it’s a little evangelistic. There is a difference. I think if we all did our level best to follow as many of these principles as we can humanly do, the world would be much better off. Even if your neighbor, your friends, or your government don’t seem to care much about it, keep in mind that there are a lot of other people who do.
In terms of permaculture, each and every effort counts a lot in the big scheme of things. You should never assume that your efforts go unnoticed or that they are inconsequential. If more of us started living this way, just imagine the changes that would take place.
Naked Dates and Permaculture: A Way of Life
If you would like to find out more about how we do things here at Naked Dates, sign up for our newsletter, join us for a farm tour, and be sure to connect with us on our social channels – and if you haven’t yet tried our delicious organic Medjool dates, order some today, and find out why they call it “nature’s candy”!
Until next time … live simply, live organically, and if you love somebody, feed them Naked Dates!