Scything grass on a hillside — a beautiful scene in the film INHABIT

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to view a rather poignant and inspiring recent film, INHABIT. INHABIT is a documentary detailing the permaculture model as it has been explored and practiced by a number of farmers and food producers across the US, in a variety of settings and climates. The strength of the film lies in the excellent portrayal of diverse individuals using permaculture design principles to guide their work in a variety of locations, creating more resilient food growing systems, a healthier relationship with the land, and stronger communities in the process.

INHABIT: Film Review

For anyone not familiar with what “permaculture” actually means, it can be defined as such — permaculture is “a system of agricultural and social design principles centered around simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems.” It’s an attempt to design human and food-producing environments that blend into the local ecology, versus a kind of imposed agriculture in which land is coerced into production. Importantly, permaculture is not limited to just growing food — it’s also a tool to be used in building all manner of human environments.

INHABIT is a remarkably well-produced film, with downright stunning production values and a powerful message. The incredible visual beauty of the film does great justice to the inherent allure of permaculture itself. Color me very impressed by the camera work, music, and editing.

I appreciate the sheer number of examples of permaculture models documented in the film, spanning country, suburban, and rural environments. That is the very backbone of the film itself — the film winds through these different environments, describing individuals and their unique projects within those settings. We see backyard food forests in the suburbs, urban composting programs with bicycles in place of trucks as the delivery vehicles, rooftop garden sanctuaries, small country homesteads, and 100+ acre permaculture farms.

As some of the interviewees state, permaculture principles can be applied in any environment, regardless of whether or not it’s a city block or a former industrial farm. I should note that a personal bonus was the fact that our friend and community mate Susana Lein of Salamander Springs Farm outside Berea, Kentucky was a featured farmer. Ben Falk and his stunning permaculture site in Vermont served as the “bookends” of the film. (I’ll actually be traveling to his site, the Whole Systems Design farm later in August to attend a Permaculture Design Course. Yeehaw.)

Despite having read any number of books about permaculture and practicing some principles in my own life, I walked away refreshed with inspiration about the possibilities of using permaculture as a tool to creating a more resilient society in the face of many ecological and social challenges.

I heartily recommend this film!