Uploaded April 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Permaculture offers a wide variety of tools for creating healthy and productive soil, from the back garden to the farm scale.
SwaYYAm in South India uses permaculture and regenerative farming methods to transform denuded and abandoned farmland into productive food enterprises for local farmers.
Their educational centre, Open Shell Farm, features a zone one kitchen garden where green manures, mulching, composting, soil regeneration, compost teas, using the contour and multi-cropping showcase the many techniques available.
A trellis creates shade for the vegetable beds, a fast growing tree line creates a shelter belt from southerly winds, and swales are used to collect and hold water into the landscape during heavy rains. And the pitcher irrigation system is an innovative addition to SwaYYam's 1000 Tree Project.
These tools are being used to transform dry, stoney and barren Indian soils but they can be applied to all situations, wherever you are in the world.
SwaYYAm is a recipient of the 2020 Permaculture Magazine Prize: permaculture.co.uk/articles/2020-permaculture-magazine-prize
Malvikaa from SwaYYam shares the story of the project and some of their techniques in PM108: permaculture.co.uk/issue/summer-2021
More on SwaYYam at: swayyam.org
Permaculture offers a wide variety of tools for creating healthy and productive soil, from the back garden to the farm scale.
SwaYYAm in South India uses permaculture and regenerative farming methods to transform denuded and abandoned farmland into productive food enterprises for local farmers.
Their educational centre, Open Shell Farm, features a zone one kitchen garden where green manures, mulching, composting, soil regeneration, compost teas, using the contour and multi-cropping showcase the many techniques available.
A trellis creates shade for the vegetable beds, a fast growing tree line creates a shelter belt from southerly winds, and swales are used to collect and hold water into the landscape during heavy rains. And the pitcher irrigation system is an innovative addition to SwaYYam's 1000 Tree Project.
These tools are being used to transform dry, stoney and barren Indian soils but they can be applied to all situations, wherever you are in the world.
SwaYYAm is a recipient of the 2020 Permaculture Magazine Prize: permaculture.co.uk/articles/2020-permaculture-magazine-prize
Malvikaa from SwaYYam shares the story of the project and some of their techniques in PM108: permaculture.co.uk/issue/summer-2021
More on SwaYYam at: swayyam.org
