The second key principle of permaculture design is to catch and store energy. This means that we should design our systems to capture the abundant and renewable energy sources that nature provides, and store them for later use when they are scarce or unavailable. By doing this, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, increase our resilience, and create more productive and sustainable systems.

Energy is not only electricity or heat, but also any resource that can be used to perform work or create value. This includes water, food, materials, information, skills, money, and social connections. All of these forms of energy can be categorized into eight forms of capital: living, material, financial, intellectual, experiential, social, cultural, and spiritual.

In this blog post, we will explore some examples of how to catch and store energy in each of these forms of capital, using permaculture principles and techniques.

Living Capital

Living capital refers to the health and vitality of living organisms, such as plants, animals, soil, and humans.

At Farmville Gardens we started with water, which is a living capital resource. Life requires water. The land has a gentle slope that encourages runoff when it rains, and we wanted to capture that runoff, slow it down, and allow it to percolate back into the water table in order to recharge our well, and improve the fertility of the soil.

Living capital is essential for life support, ecosystem services, food production, and biodiversity. To catch and store living capital, we can use strategies such as:

Planting perennial crops that can produce food, fuel, fiber, medicine, and habitat for many years without needing much maintenance or inputs.
Creating rain gardens, swales, ponds, and dams that can harvest rainwater and runoff, recharge groundwater, prevent erosion, and create microclimates and habitats.
Composting organic waste and applying it to the soil to improve its structure, fertility, water retention, and microbial activity.
Raising animals that can provide meat, eggs, milk, wool, manure, pest control, and companionship.
Practicing holistic health care that can prevent diseases, boost immunity, and promote well-being.

Material Capital

Material capital refers to the physical infrastructure and tools that we use to perform tasks and functions. Material capital includes buildings, bridges, roads, vehicles, machines, computers, furniture, appliances, and other tangible assets. Material capital is important for work and survival, as well as for comfort and convenience.

To catch and store material capital, we can use strategies such as:

Building durable and efficient structures and systems that use local and renewable materials and minimize waste and pollution.
Repairing, maintaining, and upgrading our existing tools and equipment to extend their lifespan and functionality.
Reusing, recycling, and repurposing our unwanted or discarded materials to create new products or services.
Sharing, borrowing, renting, or leasing our material assets with others who need them or can benefit from them.
Choosing quality over quantity and simplicity over complexity when acquiring new material goods.

Financial Capital

Financial capital is the most familiar form of capital in our society. It refers to the money, currencies, securities, and other instruments of the global financial system. Financial capital is our primary tool for exchanging goods and services with other humans.

To catch and store financial capital, we can use strategies such as:

Creating diverse and ethical income streams that align with our values and passions.
Saving and investing our money in ways that support regenerative enterprises and communities.
Using alternative currencies and exchange systems that are more resilient and fair than the conventional ones.
Reducing our expenses and debts by living simply and frugally.
Sharing and pooling our financial resources with others who have common goals and visions.

Intellectual Capital

Intellectual capital refers to the knowledge, skills, ideas, innovations, and creativity that we possess or have access to. Intellectual capital is essential for learning, problem-solving, designing, and creating value. To catch and store intellectual capital, we can use strategies such as:

Reading books, articles, blogs, podcasts, and other sources of information that expand our horizons and perspectives.
Taking courses, workshops, webinars, and other forms of education that enhance our skills and competencies.
Engaging in research, experimentation, observation, and analysis that generate new insights and discoveries.
Documenting, publishing, and sharing our knowledge and experiences with others through various media and platforms.
Collaborating and networking with other people who have different or complementary expertise and perspectives.

Experiential Capital

Experiential capital refers to the wisdom, intuition, confidence, and character that we develop through direct experience. Experiential capital is essential for applying our knowledge and skills in real-life situations, overcoming challenges, adapting to change, and growing as a person. To catch and store experiential capital, we can use strategies such as:

Taking action on our ideas and plans, rather than just thinking or talking about them.
Seeking feedback, reflection, and evaluation on our actions and outcomes, rather than avoiding or ignoring them.
Embracing failure, mistakes, and uncertainty as opportunities for learning and improvement.
Seeking mentors, coaches, guides, and role models who can support us on our journey.
Traveling, volunteering, interning, apprenticing, or working in different places and contexts that expose us to new skills and knowledge.

Social Capital

Social capital refers to the influence and connections that we have with other people and groups. Social capital is important for politics, business, community organizing, and personal support. To catch and store social capital, we can use strategies such as:

Building trust, respect, and reciprocity with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and allies.
Asking for favors, advice, referrals, and recommendations from our network when we need them.
Offering our help, resources, skills, and feedback to others when they need them.
Joining or creating groups, clubs, associations, cooperatives, or movements that share our interests, values, or goals.
Participating in events, activities, projects, or campaigns that bring people together and foster collaboration and solidarity.

Cultural Capital

Cultural capital refers to the shared identity, heritage, traditions, norms, and values that we have with our community or society. Cultural capital is important for social cohesion, collective action, and cultural diversity. To catch and store cultural capital, we can use strategies such as:

Learning about the history, stories, legends, and myths of our culture and other cultures.
Celebrating the festivals, rituals, ceremonies, and customs of our culture and other cultures.
Practicing the arts, crafts, music, dance, language, and cuisine of our culture and other cultures.
Preserving the artifacts, monuments, landmarks, and symbols of our culture and other cultures.
Respecting the rights, beliefs, practices, and perspectives of our community members.

Spiritual Capital

Spiritual capital refers to the values, beliefs, and principles that guide our actions and inform our decisions in the context of permaculture.

Spiritual capital only applies to those values, principles and beliefs that support living systems, generosity, and a humble self-image in awe of the beauty of creation.

Spiritual capital is what gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in our permaculture work. To catch and store spiritual capital, we can use strategies such as:

Aligning our permaculture work with our personal vision and mission.
Following the ethics of permaculture: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share.
Applying the principles of permaculture: observe and connect; catch and store energy; obtain a yield; apply self-regulation and accept feedback; use and value renewable resources; produce no waste; design from patterns to details; integrate rather than segregate; use small and slow solutions; use and value diversity; use edges and value the marginal; creatively use and respond to change.
Meditating on the patterns of nature and the connections between all living beings.
Expressing gratitude for the gifts of nature and the opportunities of permaculture.

Conclusion

We have explored some examples of how to catch and store energy in the eight forms of capital: living, material, financial, intellectual, experiential, social, cultural, and spiritual. These are not the only forms of capital or the only ways to catch and store energy, but they can serve as a useful framework for thinking about our permaculture design and practice.

By catching and storing energy in multiple forms of capital, we can create more resilient and regenerative systems that can withstand shocks and stresses, adapt to change, and thrive in abundance. We can also create more value and wealth for ourselves and others, not just in monetary terms, but in terms of well-being, happiness, and fulfillment.

Permaculture is not only a way of designing landscapes, but also a way of designing our lives. It is a holistic approach that integrates all aspects of our existence and connects us with nature and each other. It is a vision of a world where humans live in harmony with the earth and all its inhabitants.

I hope this blog post has inspired you to catch and store energy in your own permaculture projects and endeavors. Remember that you have many forms of capital at your disposal, and you can use them creatively and wisely to achieve your goals and dreams. You are not alone in this journey; you have a community of fellow permaculturists who are here to support you and learn from you.

Thank you for reading this blog post and for being part of the permaculture movement. I wish you all the best in your permaculture work and life. Catch and store energy!