"Already thinking about tomorrow today"

The topic is a matter of the heart for the president of the foundation, Angela Steiner from Unterägeri.

A mindful approach to yourself and others, a respectful treatment of the earth, as well as a fair distribution and sensible use of resources on the earth, so that future generations will also have a good basis for life. These are the most important guiding principles of permaculture. The first non-profit-oriented Swiss funding foundation "Visio-Permacultura", based in Unterägeri and with a branch office in Lucerne, has dedicated itself to this philosophy. The President of the Foundation is Angela Steiner from Unterägeri. This subject became her passion during a permaculture design course in 2018,. Steiner explains: "The foundation aims to establish knowledge of permaculture within agriculture, and to promote education, knowledge transfer and networking in this area."

Permaculture is a movement that creates sustainable, economically and ecologically stable systems in which people, animals and plants support, enrich and promote each other. In concrete terms, this means that a permaculture landscape is designed in such a way that it is versatile and profitable, and offers valuable habitat to a large number of living beings. "Through mixed crops, i.e. the cultivation of different plants, the system can better deal with pests, climate fluctuations or droughts," says Steiner, who completed a course at the Farmer's School (Bäuerinnen-Schule)in Sursee.

Angela Steiner, photographed here at the Bistro Pfauen in Zug, is convinced that permaculture has a future – and she wants to inspire more people to follow it.

Monocultures are more susceptible to diseases and pests, which necessitates the use of pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, they have a higher energy and water consumption and will damage the soil in the long term, as soils that are managed in this way will no longer be fertile in the future.

"Closed cycles and efficient water systems are also part of permaculture, and contribute to a natural, stable and resilient agriculture."

The soil is thereby constantly regenerated, and remains fertile for the next generations. And this is the motivation that has committed the 40-year-old to permaculture. She is convinced that more and more people are willing to take more responsibility for their own lives and for those  of their children: "Permaculture means already thinking about tomorrow today."

Support for the personal project
Although the concept is not yet as widespread in Switzerland as in England, France or America, interest is steadily increasing. "We have more and more requests from farms, schools and even private individuals who want to switch to permaculture and would like advice from us," enthuses Steiner, who works as a librarian in Unterägeri. "Visio-Permacultura" accepts requests for funding, examines them in several stages and supports projects through financial resources or the expertise of numerous experts who work with the foundation.

Working together with experts and other interested parties "Visio-Permacultura" has recently realised the free permaculture planner www.permakultur-konkret.ch.  "I myself, the foundation and many other helpers invested our time, our ideas, our expertise and a lot of passion in this practical platform," reveals Steiner.

The aim is that everyone should be able to realise their own personal permaculture project in concrete terms. A personal profile could be created on the website, and all the knowledge needed for the planning and implementation of a permaculture project can also be found on it. Angela Steiner adds: "Users should be inspired by the website, discovering exciting permaculture elements and obtaining practical gardening tips, and be able to immerse themselves in the world of plant science."

Further information on the Foundation and on the topic of permaculture can be found at www.visio-permacultura.ch.