The Bio-integrated Farm: A Revolutionary Permaculture-Based System Using Greenhouses, Ponds, Compost Piles, Aquaponics, Chickens, and More

Jadrnicek, a farmer, educator (he teaches at and oversees Clemson University’s organic student farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains), and perpetually tinkering designer and inventor, implements the permaculture principle of “stacking functions”—“Every component of a design should function in many ways”—and pushes its limits. “Something very special happens when a component within the design exceeds seven functions,” he writes. “Once the odd magic number of seven is breached, the design takes on a life of its own.” With curiosity, imagination, and exuberant obsession, he shares his successful manifestations and ongoing experiments and shows readers how to implement them in their own agricultural pursuits, whether a market farm or steep urban yard. He provides both broad conceptual overviews and comprehensive specifics. Less committed growers may balk at the complexity of these living designs and the basic physics, chemistry, and algebra needed to realize them, but permies and others committed to developing a regenerative agriculture—as well as ambitious weekend gardeners dreaming of an in-town, self-sufficient aquaculture greenhouse—will likely be impatient to try it themselves. (Mar.)