The Story of Permaculture | Documentary (2024)

After compiling a little film about Bill Mollison, there was a large call to expand on it and the origins of permaculture, giving some other pioneers their dues. So, here I have focused on some of the people who influenced me heavily when I first became interested in permaculture. It includes clips from David Holmgren, Masanobu Fukuoka, Sepp Holzer, Robert Hart, Emilia Hazelip, Allan Savory, Vandana Shiva, Dr. Elaine Ingham and Geoff Lawton. I realise that there are many more who could be listed but due to the nature of this being a video, I focused mostly on people who had amassed a large library of footage to choose from.

However, here are some more names I think could be added. If you can think of any more who should be on this list, let me know and I'll add them:

Rosemary Morrow, Joel Salatin, Martin Crawford, David Jacke, Dr. Venkat, Mark Shepard, Scott Pitman, Sir Albert Howard, PA. Yeoman, Paul Wheaton, Charles Dowding, Stephanie Hafferty, Paul Stamets, David R. Montgomery, Toby Hemenway, Monty Don, Gabe Brown, Elliot Coleman, Jean-Martin Fortier, Ken Fern, Michael Reynolds, Jeff Lowenfels, Graham Bell, Ernst Gotsch, Wes Jackson, Guy Baldwin, Douglas Bullock, Joe Bullock, Sam Bullock, Marco Chung-shu Lam, Dan Dorsey, Cynthia Edwards, Jean Eisenhower, Ianto Evans, Darrell Frey, Joel Glanzberg, Ben Haggard, Dan Hemenway, Simon Henderson, Jude Hobbs, Dick Hogan, John Howe, Sego Jackson, Larry Korn, Richard Kuhnel, Rick Landt, Susan Lein, Art Ludwig, Mike Maki, Chuck Marsh, Vicki Marvick, Patricia Michael, Tim Murphy, Jerome Osentowski, Vince Pastore, Michael Pilarski, John Quinney, Bill Roley, Barbara Rose, Larry Santoyo, Ali Sharif, Dawn Shiner, Adam Turtle, Sue Turtle, John Valenzuela, Rick Valley, Richard Wade, Tom Ward, Marianne Scott, Bruce Bebe, Michael Howden, Bruce Hill, Bill Howe, Stuart Hill, Oliver Kellhammer, Monica Kuhn, Liz Richardson, Alejandra Caballero, Jose Caballero, Tammy Turner, J. Russel Smith, Toyohiko Kagawa, Andrew Millison, Jim Cronin, Suzie Cahn, Mike Cahn, Diego Footer, Morag Gamble, Richard Perkins, Justn Rhodes, Ron Finley, Rudolf Steiner, Anna Maria Primavesi, Rachel Stout, Rachel Carson, Art Ludwig, Brad Lancaster, G. Nammalvar, John D. Liu, Warren Brush, Brock Dolman, Margie Bushman, John Todd, Mike Gonella, Jono Neiger, Julius Piti, Michael Nickels, Bill Wilson, Padma and Narsanna Koppula, Andy Goldring, Mugove Walter Nyika, Jeunesse Park, Daniel Parra Hensel, Jessi Bloom, Dave Boehnlein, Graham Burnett, Patrick Whitefield, Afshan Omar, Stacia Nordin, Matt Powers, Master Cho, Ruth Stout, Paul Gauchi, Billy Bond, Dr. Ken Berry, Ben Falk, Zach Weiss, Ana Primavesi, Darren Doherty, Ray Archulletta, Dan Kittredge, Nicole Masters, Dr. Christine Jones, Penny Livingston, Stephen Brooks, Tim Miller, Perrine and Charles Hervé-Gruyer, Moritz Schreber, Skye Jin, Yacouba Sawadogo, Vijay Kumar, Didi Pershouse, Walter Jehne, Julie Firth, Starhalk, Charles Williams, Pandora Thomas, Ann & Gord Baird, Erik Ohlsen, Saragh Pugh, Maddy & Tim Harland, Hannah Moloney, Michael Judd, Conor Kendrew, Stefan Sobkowiak... Lots so far! Keep 'em coming!

Video footage credits and appreciation to the folks behind the scenes:
Leaf of Life, Dogs Go Woof Productions, Metabolism of Cities,
220 Productions, Tagari Publications, Happen Films,
Rodale Press, Salbong Tokyo, Crystal Lake Video Productions,
Clin D’oeil Video, Fig Multimedia Tech, HB PeÅ Holmquist Film,
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, Sustainable Studies, Matt Powers,
Diego Footer, Heart and Soil TV, Permaculture News,
Discover Permaculture with Geoff Lawton, Frank Gapinski,
Ecofilms, International Permaculture Convergence,
Rob Avis, Verge Permaculture, Soil Food Web School LLC

Film by Shane Hatton, Bosco's Garden

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[BoscosGarden]

Hiya Folks, Hope ye enjoyed this. As I said above, let me know who your favourite permaculture and natural farming pioneers are and I'll add them to the list in the video description! ✌❤ 🌳

Update: Wow, this list is really getting long... Well worth checking it out if you're looking for topics to research. Keep the names coming!

I was also emailed a list of the original PDC students in North America in the early '80s. If anybody has similar lists from other continents it would be great to add those too.

[douwebeerda]

I am really impressed by Andrew Millison his beautiful educational videos on permaculture that he has on Youtube. Also him visiting projects in India, Africa, China etc. is inspiring. Otherwise a great summary of inspiring people in the permaculture sphere.

[Brandon-loql]

Toby Hemenway- 'GAIA'S GARDEN' - The best, most comprehensive book I've ever read on Permaculture

[tcoxor]

While not directly in the ancestral lineage of Permaculture, I think P.A. Yeomans (Water For Every Farm, 1973) work on hydrology, keyline design, earthworks, and scale of permanence are critical pieces that have been incorporated into the work of permaculture and regenerative agriculture today. For anyone interested, Darren Doherty has some excellent videos on these concepts in practice on his YT channel Regrarians Ltd.

And another newer (last 20ish years) “pioneer” that I haven’t seen mentioned in the comments and is putting out some great content on his YT channel is Ben Falk. His work on whole systems design is excellent.

[victoriajankowski]

Is the a reason Paul Wheaton isn't mentioned? His site Permies has so much free info its daunting at times!

[louiseswart]

I would like to mention Morag Gamble of Queensland Australia. She was the one getting me thinking through her YouTube videos, and through the suggestions, I found many of the channels of the people mentioned in this video.

[cezarcam]

My inspiration in Brazil is Ernst Gotsch, pioneer of Syntropic Agriculture or Agroforestry, an incredible work of sustainable production.

[craigmetcalfe]

I feel so proud, as an Australian, to have links to the permaculture movements. The hairs are standing up on my neck. At one time or another, I have either read about or seen on YouTube so many of these marvelous people who have inspired me to keep maintaining my existing Food Forest and inspiring me to create new ones. Cheers!

[louisegogel]

🌿 Wow, you’re going to have a huge long list of great people in Permaculture… may I recommend making a “Family Tree” of all the names, by rough date, with the branches representing different methods of working the land within the Permaculture Family?

I love your compilation here! I don’t know how much I’ve incorporated the ideas into my gardening, but the insects and birds love being here in my yard where I mow paths around whichever flowers are coming up, so much of the back yard always looks like a meadow. The lightening bugs love it too.

It would be awesome to truly understand this way of gardening and be able to do it where I am fully moving one of the days… in the Black Forest near the corners of D, CH, and F.

[QuiChiYang]

RFK Jr. Was the lawyer who fought against Monsanto tyranny.

[melissasueferrin]

Living in a semi arid environment, my inspirations to dive in were Art Ludwig (greywater) and Brad Lancaster (rainwater)

[ScouseJack]

J. Russel Smith wrote Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture in 1929. This inspired Toyohiko Kagawa in Japan, who inspired Robert Hart in Britain.

[TheVigilantStewards]

Great meditative overview. Ernst Gotsch syntropic agroforestry I'm practicing it in Kenya it's very good, also good to include . Also, Matt Powers

[bluearmyjarun]

Larry Korn, I discover permaculture some 12y ago now, was amazed by sentence " you can solve all the worlds problem in the garden", heard it from Geoff but I think it was originally from mr Mollison. but I watched Larry Korn on some free PDC that was available back in the days, and find mine inspiration, now living last 3y in strawbale house on small regenerative farm in Croatia. rgds to all permaculturists out there

[mothmaster]

Thank you so much for making this! So useful to learn a bit about some of the major trailblazers who laid the foundations for so many movements surrounding permaculture!

[Definitive_Media]

That was awesome! I've learned a lot from numerous people on this list and learned a few new ones that I need to check out.

Great work. Seriously.

[earthmonkeySteve]

Hi Shane, a fantastic well constructed documentary. I understand that there are other permaculture disciples out there that are worthy of recognition, but you have referenced the correct founding pioneers and ambassadors that directed the positive global movements that we see around us today. These are the people that inspired me in my dark and desperate times, they, along with mother nature gave my life a new direction, purpose, inspiration and resilience. I am now always full of hope and optimism that we can all make a difference and continue to expand and spread the knowledge that we have gained from them.

[odhrancrowe]

Fantastic. You are really finding a voice combining your two loves of film making and permaculture. Can't wait for the next one. I really like Andrew Millisons teaching presentation and Ben Falks implementation.

[kierancotter]

What a motivating video Bosco. Just uplifting.. Thank you so much!

[jameskendrew]

Thank You for this beautiful resource you have
As you asked!!! My Permaculture hero is my eldest son Conor Kendrew.
He did his PDC as a young man and its effect on him (and his ability to communicate) has meant that so many others have just had to follow!!!!
People are naturally inquisitive about positive energy, as Permaculture designers and practitioners we are Keep designing and we have the tool kit to heal and be incredibly This film will help guide. Thank You again.