Ryan Harb, MS, LEED AP

What is UMass Permaculture?

The UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative is a unique and cutting-edge campus sustainability program that transforms grass lawns and neglected landscapes into edible, educational and ecologically designed gardens while building community. The local, sustainably grown food, grown by students, goes directly to our dining commons which are a mere 10 feet away. In short, it’s hyper-local food production with a social and environmental responsibility for regeneration.

Our student + staff group, the UMass Permaculture Committee, designs and implements these gardens, hosts events, organizes volunteers, and networks with surrounding communities and beyond. We have help from project consultant Jono Neiger of Regenerative Design Group and other permaculturists in Western, MA and around the globe.

Together, we have created one of the first university permaculture initiatives in the nation that has involved over 2,000 individuals and 500 local youths from K-12 schools and non-profits like Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization and Living Routes. By establishing new gardens each year, we demonstrate how permaculture, as a design system and lifestyle, can both feed and heal the Earth’s human and natural systems in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner.

UMass Permaculture Classes:

• http://www.umasspermaculture.com/classes/

Get Involved!

UMass Permaculture has hosted numerous local school groups and summer camps including Amherst Regional High School, Williston Northampton Middle School, and Shutesbury Elementary, Marks Meadow Summer Action Camp, and more! To schedule a tour or visit, contact us at info(at)umasspermaculture.com.

Volunteers are always welcome at our gardens. Our fall volunteer times are typically (but e-mail us first):

• Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 10:00am at the Franklin Permaculture Garden, or sometimes the Berkshire Permaculture Garden!

Contact us for more information:

• Email: info(at)umasspermaculture.com
• Website: www.umasspermaculture.com
• Documentary: Youtube “UMass Permaculture”
• Facebook: Like “UMass Amherst Permaculture”
• Twitter: Follow us “@UMassPermacultr”