Permaculture

Permaculture farming

Discover how incorporating the ecological designs of permaculture in Hawaii contributes to holistic food systems, regenerative land management, collaborative social relationships, environmental education programs, waste reduction, environmental stewardship, and conserving the unique habitat of endemic species and native plants on the Big Island.

SEE WHAT WE'RE GROWING
Kalani community members at the garden shed working with plants

12 principles of permaculture

1

OBSERVE AND INTERACT

Develop a relationship with the land and learn from your environment before taking action.

2

CATCH & STORE ENERGY

Gather energy in its many forms while it is abundant and preserve it for future use.

3

OBTAIN A YEILD

Determine if your methods are working well by examining the tangible and intangible results.

4

SELF REGULATION & FEEDBACK​

Consider the response a situation provides and adapt wisely to create healthier systems.

5

USE & VALUE RENEWABLE RESOURCES & SERVICES

Thoughtfully select resources that are resilient and able to replenish rather than be exhausted.

6

PRODUCE NO WASTE

Value surrounding resources with mindful consumption and choose to reduce, reuse, upcycle, and recycle.

7

DESIGN FROM PATTERNS TO DETAILS

Understand and establish the large scale picture before delving into the finer details.

8

INTEGRATE RATHER THAN SEGREGATE

Bring elements, ingredients and people together to collaborate and share connections.

9

USE SMALL & SLOW SOLUTIONS

Cultivate patience and choose consistent solutions for long term progress and wellbeing.

10

USE & VALUE DIVERSITY

Promote diverse plant life and perspectives for resilient lands and thriving communities.

11

USE EDGES & VALUE DIVERSITY

Look to the overlooked spaces, ideas or materials for underrepresented or unused potential.

12

CREATIVELY USE & RESPOND TO CHANGE

Seek innovation and support curiosity for dynamic transformation in changing environments.

Permaculture at Kalani

Our retreat center strives for regenerative models and permaculture practices in our gardens, landscapes, community systems, and programming that strengthen the resources and resiliency for future generations. We have a deep respect for the wisdom embedded in Hawaiian culture and the ‘āina (land) itself including the mountains, waters, lava, plants, and wildlife of the islands, and encourage others to learn alongside us from the various teachers in and from our environment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ON OUR CAMPUS

Our'Permaculture Practices

  • Harvesting seasonal produce weekly to be used for community meals & offering for sale at our Hale Aloha shop
  • Prioritizing native plants & actively removing invasive species to restore ecology
  • Promoting healthy pollinator populations of butterflies, bees, & birds through our pollinator sanctuary and beehives, landscaping choices, & giving away milkweed seeds
  • Educating our community participants about resource management & providing bins for various types of recycling and compost
  • Supporting local artists by providing an opportunity to sell creations at our front shop, & choosing local vendors, farmers & producers whenever possible
  • Upcycling items like secondhand clothing in our Free Boutique, pre-loved books in our Community Library, glass jars for fermentation projects, cardboard for sheet mulch in our gardens, and other objects such as scrap materials for creative art pieces
  • Generating a portion of our center’s energy needs with 350 solar panels
  • Collecting rainwater & well water, then filtering & treating for a variety of community needs & irrigation
  • Encouraging water conservation and mindful use of electricity & other resources
  • Applying social permaculture strategies to develop communication skills for empowered leadership & holistic wellbeing
Inspired in this pursuit of permaculture farming and sustainable community living, we also acknowledge we are on this journey of sustainability and have not yet reached our destination. There are many more ways we can continue to improve in our efforts, and we look forward to more feedback, ideas and collaborative processes to grow and achieve our goals.

Ways to get involved

PARTNER WITH KALANI & DONATE

Strengthen our center with a simple donation or join our network of supporters.

JOIN OUR WEEKLY GARDEN CLUB

Connect with our community's weekly Garden Club and learn about what's growing on our campus.

SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM

Collaborate with our community and establish new skills through hands-on projects.

A Kalani volunteer giving tour of the fenced gardens and raised beds