Permaculture is an environmental design philosophy which develops sustainable architecture and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
Permaculture design seeks to minimize waste, human labor, and energy input by building systems with maximal benefits between design elements to achieve a high level of synergy.
Sepp Holzer’s
Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening
Sepp Holzer farms steep mountainsides in Austria 1,500 meters above sea level. His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbors’ spruce monocultures.In this book, Holzer shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a holistic system on the farm itself, but how to make a living from it. Holzer writes about everything from the overall concepts, down to the practical details.
http://www.thepreparationstation.com/2011/krameterhof-sepp-holzers-permaculture-paradise/
Bill Mollison is considered by many to be the ‘father of permaculture’, an integrated system of design that Mollison co-developed with David Holmgren. It encompasses not only agriculture, horticulture, architecture and ecology, but also economic systems, land access strategies and legal systems for businesses and communities.
http://www.permaculturenews.org/author/Bill%20Mollison