!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Permaculture Playing Cards 2.0

I think a new card deck is a great idea. I am curious whether you are envisioning this as an "upgrade" (revision with maybe a couple swap-outs) or a new version (with mostly new material, even if some of the history characters remain the same). Don't know which of those I'd vote for, but just curious.

My vote:
1. Green
2. Gold
3. Cream

Please don't make them plastic. Playing cards were around for a thousand years before they were ever made in plastic. Permaculture cards in plastic? No, no, no. Besides, if they wear out, they can still be repurposed as info cards, or composted, or burnt for fuel, and then a new set can be purchased.... $

Thanks, Donna Lynn - that's exactly what I was thinking!

My choice would be blue.  My antichoice would be sepia because it I think it would be quite nice for it to be more dissimilar to the first deck.

Sorry that I don't know if these got used in the 1st deck?
Sourdough/polydough
Pee spots
Weed fertilizer
Different natural medicine recipes?
Mobile chicken tracktor/brooder
Mulch pits for greywater

sepia is my favorite overall. The others are too brash!

Yes I would support a kickstarter for new decks.  Last time I got a dozen from the kickstarter and kept one, passing the others to people I thought might actually take the time to read them.  
The accompanying pdf allowed me to come on here and see them bigger and to be able to read the small print.  It also gave me a chance to send those people on to permies to sign up, so they could get the pdf also.  
I like purple also, but any color is good with me.  I am looking at the info on the face.
As far as subjects so many good ones have been mentioned.  My biggest projects right now are growing organic matter for building soil in the clay desert, so anything remotely to do with that.  I liked the people part of the last deck.  Maybe the top person in different areas of permaculture.  I don't know who is doing what now  because I have been to busy homesteading to get on here in awhile, or I would make suggestions.  I don't care if the people even change or not, just who should I tell people to follow when I am trying to give a little push further toward permaculture.  Looking forward to the kickstarter.  It's always a good time watching those numbers rising up for yall.
Much love n light from nowhere northern nevada

Andrés Bernal wrote:Please give a thumbs up to your favorite color

Just to be extra-clear, the way we vote for a color is by clicking the thumb/+1 button on the posts above with the color(s) we like....right?

And if we have PIE, then it's OK for us to vote twice, yeah?

Christopher Weeks wrote:

Andrés Bernal wrote:Please give a thumbs up to your favorite color

Just to be extra-clear, the way we vote for a color is by clicking the thumb/+1 button on the posts above with the color(s) we like....right?

And if we have PIE, then it's OK for us to vote twice, yeah?

Yes. Plus, give any card feedback, please.

Newbie here again...
What are:
Pooless;
Bodgering (even GGG doesn't know!);
Bermshed;
Rock jack;
STUN; and
SKIP?
And I found Gert thank goodness, but who is Lorena?

Thank you!

Maggie Ross wrote:Newbie here again...
What are:
Pooless;
Bodgering (even GGG doesn't know!);
Bermshed;
Rock jack;
STUN; and
SKIP?
And I found Gert thank goodness, but who is Lorena?

Thank you!

The Lorena stove was a Ianto Evans innovation.  It is a wood burning cook stove used in Central America, Possibly Guatamala.  Burns less wood, doesn’t heat up the dwelling or fill it with smoke

SKIP is an acronym :  skills to inherit property.  It is a Paul Wheaton devised program.  Look around on permies!  It “lives” there

STUN  is another acronym :  strategic total utter neglect .  Originally sheer total utter neglect.  I think this was Mark Shepherd’s invention.  It’s a method of raising plants to get the tough ones.  Don’t pamper them, believe they are competent resilient organisms and treat them as such.  The switch to “strategic” is to represent the idea that we keep them alive, get them through the tough times ( no rain, blistering sun too early, or right after you set your starts out)

(sham)Poo less.  Quit using shampoo, just rinse your hair.  Many people’s hair responds quite well to this.

Bodgering is (I think) building with round wood even making the tools you need  (maybe a mallet?) There are probably some threads on bodgering in permies’, maybe in wood working forum.

Berm shed.  I don’t know if his is the only one on earth, or if it was a thing before Paul built his.  Its a shed with an open side, and the back wall is soil (a berm). It has a roof.  Again, search peemies forums.

Rock jack is a means of holding up a post when you have to fence across rocky ground.  It is in use at Paul’s place in Montana.  They might have invented it.  Should have threads and photos here on permies.

I hope that helps. Some of them I understand better than others.  Especially bodgering— that one I might be all the way wrong on!  But never fear, someone will refine any of these that need it.

Thank you, Thekla. I'm off to search the site.

Green! Though many of the other color themes look great!

Any way to make the cards more durable? They lasted only about 6 months down in Costa Rica

Tally - Current card topic counts:

1. Pooless: 26

2. Willow feeder: 15

3. Rocket cooktop: 22

4. Lorena: 4

5. Brush piles: 30

6. Junkpole fence: 14

7. Haybox cooker: 13

8. 87% off heat bill / micro heaters: 31

9. Chinampa: 35

10. Gert: 37

11. Carbon negative heater: 9

12. Natural cooling: 106

13. Cleaners you can eat: 17

14. Hedgerow/living fence: 40

15. Community living: 7

16. Bodgering: 16

17. Rocket oven: 23

18. Rocket kiln: 10

19. Rocket water heater (unpressurized): 28

20. Growing chicken feed / growing winter chicken feed: 23

21. 3 sisters (7 sisters?): 42

22. Bermshed: 7

23. Chop and drop: 26

24. Dry stack: 9

25. Rock jack: 8

26. Stack of rocks (habitat, mulch and harvest water from air): 26

27. Mowable meadow vs. lawn: 35

28. Round wood timber framing: 9

29. Cob adobe - duct tape for natural builders: 11

30. Truly passive greenhouse: 21

31. Forage gardening (kinda like guerrilla gardening): 12

32. Slip straw: 2

33. Freezer wofati: 3

34. Passive solar garden heater: 4

35. Spring terrace / humus well: 2

36. SKIP: 17

37. Post in the ground: 5

38. Mycelium insulation: 9

39. STUN: 9

40. Landrace / epigenetics: 40

41. Biophilic design: 6

42. Worm town: 7

43. Forest v woodland: 12

44. Mosquito mitigation (strong focus on bats): 23

45. Wavy deer fence: 15

46. Sealing a pond without a liner: 22

47. Earth plasters / tadelakt: 9

48. Grow mushrooms (instant food / shady+damp space)": 12

49. Starting fruit trees from seed: 35

50. Skiddable structures: 6

51. Soil microscopy: 7

52. Solar food dehydrator with rocket assist: 10

Don't sell the deck short! 54 cards with the pair of jokers!  That means 2 more subjects!

And it’s always nice to have a couple blank or replacement cards.  If you lose your 2 of hearts, you lose that particular card as a resource, but if you have a blank front with a matching back (identical to the rest of the deck) you just take a marker and write 2❤️ on it, and you can still use the deck for card games.

Only in this deck, the blank, or replacement cards could just have their permaculture topic, and not the suit and number.

Or if we REALLY wanted to have more cards, we could make a tarot deck… adds 26 more cards!

I’m getting excited to see these new cards.  Great solstice gifts.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:

Or if we REALLY wanted to have more cards, we could make a tarot deck… adds 26 more cards!

I’m getting excited to see these new cards.  Great solstice gifts.

I'd definitely be all over a tarot deck, but I'm not sure how one goes about creating a permaculture tarot! Something to think about!  

I am excited to see this new deck.

Deedee Dezso wrote:Don't sell the deck short! 54 cards with the pair of jokers!  That means 2 more subjects!

For the last deck, we just kinda did art on the jokers - no special topic.  

Maybe we could, instead, add something that is a bit more philosophical?

I could go for philosophical.  

And what appeals to me is to figure out what are the two values- concepts- philosophies that are the basis for all we do in permaculture.

Kind of like “be nice” is the underpinning value that makes all else possible on permies.com

Maybe something to reflect the diversity of permaculture, that the “best” strategy or action is unique to the situation.  That understanding the nature of the observed process we set out to alter is key, we steer natural processes rather than oppose them.

Or maybe the motto out of Taoist philosophy:   “The way will become clear”….. after careful consideration and observation.

I dunno, I just woke up.  I’m curious where this conversation will go!

weeds: because mother nature refuses to be your personal bitch

build good things rather than being angry at bad guys


obligation is poison

conflict comes from a difference of knowledge set


machines help us do more, but experience less

paul wheaton wrote:For the last deck, we just kinda did art on the jokers - no special topic.  

Maybe we could, instead, add something that is a bit more philosophical?

Or something humorous, being jokers and all?

Like a thwarted deer on the wrong side of a living fence, or a growling utility exec looking at RMH users' reduced utility bills.  Stuff like that that needs minimal "teaching."

A healthy smiling willow tree next to a willow feeder, while a smaller tree looks sad farther away, gazing longingly at the willow feeder.

A cartoonish caterpillar of a pest species running from heroic beneficial insects zooming out from their home in a supportive plant species.

Whatever fits best with minimal wording and gets a smile or laugh, and is easily understood from the illustration.

I also like Thekla's idea.

For the jokers:  Not in the face!  Not in the face!!

Hey I think it would be funny, but then I'm a little warped!

When the new cards are ready, count me in.  I'll have your check in the mail.


Peace