Episode 884 · May 23, 2025
884: Elements, Zones and Stacking Functions in Permaculture
A Permaculture Chat with Don Titmus.
In this episode
Join Farmer Greg and Don Titmus, a horticulturist and permaculturist as they reflect on their 20-year friendship and shared journey in permaculture. They outline the fundamental principles of permaculture then introduce the concepts from permaculture of elements, zones and stacking functions, where each element in a design performs multiple roles, using chickens as a primary example. They explore how zones and sectors work in permaculture design, emphasizing the importance of understanding the external elements and how they impact the property.
Our Guest
Don Titmus grew up in London and at age 16 spent 4 years being trained in horticulture through an apprenticeship and a college course. From there he continued landscaping in his hometown until he moved to Arizona in 1981, where he worked in landscaping and then starting his own business in garden maintenance. In 2003 he attended a Permaculture Design Course, which was life-changing for Don. He knew right away that this was the path he’d been waiting for, and later attended two Permaculture Teacher Trainings.
Editor's Note
Check out UrbanFarm.org/PDC for info on the Phoenix Permaculture Design Course offered each spring.
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