I remember the first time I read the French edition of Living with the Earth: I wrote immediately to the Permanent Publications team and said you have to translate this book, its inspirational and I believe one of the best books I’ve read.
Finally volume one is available in English, and readers will love it! Living with the Earth is a three volume set, written by the owners of the renowned Ferme du Bec Hellouin in France.
The authors are known for their first title, Miraculous Abundance, a collection of thoughts on how they chose to change their way of living and start their adventure at the farm. Living with the Earth is the design and technical manual for that way of life, and it maintains the inspirational perspective that defines the authors, while guiding the reader to a new perspective on food production and reconnecting with nature.
This first volume focuses on permaculture and ‘ecoculture’.
The authors use ‘ecoculture’ (made up of ecological and agriculture) on the farm, and share their set of principles to guide the reader in applying it themselves. Ecoculture fits in perfectly with permaculture design.
The volume is divided in to four parts, exploring:
Each section ends with how the Ferme du Bec Hellouin apply these, giving the reader real-life context.
The volume can be read from start to finish, or dipped into for specific subjects. For me, this tome of knowledge can be likened to The Earth Care Manual by Patrick Whitefield – it will inspire the newbie as well as the expert designers and makes an incredibly useful tool for any permaculture designer.
It is clearly written and the beautiful drawings and photos make it a pleasure to read. The in depth data, drawings and tables are of huge value, backing up these important techniques with scientific observations.
With such varied content, it is a challenge on an editorial level. Maintaining the incredibly beautiful original layout isn’t easy when translating, but I believe Permanent Publications has achieved this. It is one of the best books published in the last few years in the permaculture world.
I look forward to the translation of the next two volumes, and truly believe this set will become a classic.
Lorenzo Costa, permaculture designer and regenerative farmer in Tuscany, Italy.