Recently, I attended a permaculture workshop at the Wyck House in Germantown, given by Phil Forsyth of Forsyth Gardens and co-founder of the Philadelphia Orchard Project. Phil gave an informative slide presentation on the history of permaculture, a term initially meaning “permanent agriculture.”

It has since been modified to also stand for “permanent culture,” acknowledging the social aspects in a sustainable system. Permaculture refers to the care of the earth, care of the people, reduction of consumption and sharing of the surplus, while mimicking the relationships found in nature.

The urban permaculture movement is sweeping the world, with the United States being one of the last big holdouts. What can we do? A few simple practices that Phil partially adapted from Richard Heinberg’s The Party’s Over include reduced driving, consumption of local products, energy conservation, reduced debt and — my favorite — growing as much of your own food as you can.

Growing food in urban areas is in no way a new idea. In the 1940s, the Victory Garden, aka War Garden, provided 40 percent of food production during World War II. These fruit and vegetable gardens were planted in backyards, on rooftops and in vacant lots — even at the White House – producing between 9 and 10 million tons of food.

Now the White House is considering doing it again. What is its significance today? Many experts believe that this is the only way to combat a world food crisis. On a lighter note, it’s yummy, convenient, hopefully organic, not to mention that there are no fossil fuels used for growing and transporting. Win, win — it’s the permaculture way.

So if you have a small patch of lawn on your property, turn it into a food producing garden of eatin’. I have so little lawn left in my backyard that I can mow it with a pair of scissors. Less lawn means less mowing and less watering.

My backyard is bigger than some in Chestnut Hill and certainly Center City, yet it measures only 20’ x 25’. I started with a raised bed around the perimeter, planting mainly herbs and strawberries. In the following years, I added a couple of dwarf fruit trees: peach, plum, cherry and pear, then put in some blueberry bushes which never thrived and so were relocated to a neighbor’s yard.

This past year, another 3’ x 8’ “Square Foot” garden was added for lettuces, peas, chard, beets and fennel, and a hardy kiwi was planted to go up and over our arbor.

Start with just a container or two. Grow things that you love and eat a lot of. Plant some herbs and lettuces in a window box and add some tomatoes and basil in a large tub or even or even hanging on your porch. Grow cucumbers up your trellis and you’ve got yourself a salad.

Begin replacing annual flowers with edibles. Utilize whatever space you have, keeping in mind all your vertical space as well. You may be wondering how much space you will need to grow all your own food. It’s not as much as you think, about 100 square feet per person.

Perhaps you are short on space and long on enthusiasm. Lease a plot from a local community garden. The SCEE (Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education) rents 16’ x 20’ plots for $40 with membership and you can garden all year, even put up cold frames.

There’s a group in England that matches up would-be gardeners with those that have space to spare. Perhaps you can tend a neighbor’s patch of earth and offer them some veggies. Permaculture makes solutions out of problems, cooperation out of competition, an idea we should all get behind.

There are some great books on the subject of urban food production, including my favorites: Food Not Lawns by H. C. Flores, Edible Container Garden by Michael Guerra, Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway, The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy and The Square Foot Garden by Mel Bartholomew.

The Wyck House’s original 50 acres is now about 2-1/2 acres and has vegetable, fruit and herb gardens, green house and cold frames. It is a great example of urban sustainability and a valuable resource, offering a variety of workshops throughout the year.

If you’re a novice gardener, the folks at Wyck are offering a “How to start your own garden” workshop on March 21 and a Composting Workshop on April 18. These are excellent opportunities to meet other beginner and advanced gardeners and find out what else is going on in the city. Their e-mail is wyck@wyck.org, or call 215-848-1690.

Phil Forsyth, a permaculture landscaper, can be found at www.forsythgardens.com or by calling 215-724-1247, also at Philadelphia Orchard Project, www.phillyorchards.org, or try www.phigblog.com. For community garden plots at the SCEE, call Pete Malandra at 215-482-7300, ext. 117.