Honoring the Past, Observing the Patterns, Designing What's Next
There is something wonderfully revealing about looking back.
Recently, as we began organizing years of South Shore Permaculture newsletters into an archive, I found myself revisiting old editions of The Pondering Permie.
And there was Jessica.
Her words. Her reflections. Her curiosity. Her unmistakable voice.
Jessica gave The Pondering Permie its name and, for years, much of its heart. During her time as Primary Steward of South Shore Permaculture, she brought her own wisdom, creativity, and dedication to our educational programs and this community.
We spent countless hours talking about permaculture, sharing ideas, and imagining what SSP might become. But these newsletters were largely her creation, and revisiting them reminded me just how much of herself she poured into this work.
As I read through those earlier editions, I found myself smiling, remembering, and occasionally thinking, "Well, there's something we ought to revisit!"
And then it occurred to me.
We weren't just organizing an archive. We were observing a system.
One of the foundational principles of permaculture is Observe and Interact. Before we change a landscape, we spend time understanding it. We watch where the water flows, where the sunlight falls, what thrives, what struggles, and how everything relates.
Why wouldn't we approach our own organization the same way?
As we revisit these newsletters, we're looking for more than articles worth preserving. We're looking for patterns.
What ideas keep returning? What lessons have we learned? Where have we grown? What have we overlooked? And perhaps most importantly, what is this history telling us about where we might go next?
We Looked, but We Didn't Stare
There is a passage from the recovery community that has stayed with me for years:
"We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it."
What a beautiful way to approach both life and permaculture.
The past is neither something to cling to nor something to erase. It is a landscape filled with information.
Every garden I've ever worked in has taught me something. Some lessons came from abundant harvests. Others came from plants that didn't survive, designs that didn't quite work, or assumptions that turned out to be wrong.
Did I forget to mention, forget to mention... some of my greatest teachers have been my biggest mistakes?
The same is true of South Shore Permaculture.
We've had wonderful successes, unexpected challenges, transitions, and plenty of opportunities to learn. Each class, workshop, gathering, and conversation has contributed something to the living system we call SSP.
And each person who has helped steward this organization has left something valuable in the soil.
We don't need to dwell on what didn't work. Nor should we forget it.
We simply need to observe, learn, and keep growing.
Accept Feedback, Apply Self-Regulation
Another permaculture principle invites us to Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback.
In nature, feedback is everywhere.
A tree responds to changing light. A forest adapts after disturbance. A garden tells us when the soil needs attention, when water is scarce, or when something is out of balance.
Healthy systems respond.
As we begin looking toward our 2027 Permaculture Design Course, we're doing much the same.
We're reflecting on what we've taught, how we've taught it, what our students have shared with us, and what the changing world is asking of permaculture education.
What deserves to remain? What might benefit from a fresh perspective? Where can we create more opportunities for hands-on learning, deeper relationships, and meaningful application?
We're asking these questions not because something is broken, but because living systems are always evolving.
And we're excited about what that means for PDC 2027.
There are some ideas taking root, and we'll have more to share as they develop.
From Patterns to Details
Perhaps the most interesting part of revisiting our history is noticing how often the same themes appear.
Community. Cooperation. Resilience. Relationships. Soil. Water. Energy. Gratitude.
Different years. Different voices. Different circumstances.
Yet the underlying patterns remain remarkably familiar.
It's another permaculture principle at work: Design from Patterns to Details.
When we recognize the larger patterns, we can make better decisions about the smaller details.
And one pattern has become increasingly clear to me.
Permaculture has never been just about designing landscapes. It's about learning how to live in relationship.
With the Earth. With each other. With ourselves.
The gardens, food forests, water systems, and regenerative landscapes are wonderful expressions of that understanding. But the relationships we cultivate while creating them may be our greatest harvest.
As we look toward another year of teaching and learning, that's a pattern worth nurturing.
The Next Season of South Shore Permaculture
November is an interesting time to be thinking about new beginnings.
The leaves are falling. The gardens are settling. Seeds are resting beneath the soil, waiting for conditions that will invite them to grow.
From the outside, it might appear that not much is happening.
But we gardeners know better.
There is a whole great big bunch of life preparing for what comes next.
So are we.
As we continue building our newsletter archive and preparing for PDC 2027, I'm reminded that South Shore Permaculture has never belonged to just one person.
It has been shaped by the people who have cared for it, taught within it, learned from it, and shared its gifts with others.
Jessica helped cultivate something beautiful here. Our students, instructors, volunteers, and community continue to nurture it. And each new season brings opportunities for fresh growth.
We hope our alumni will continue sharing their experiences, their ideas, and their wisdom. And we look forward to welcoming new students who will bring perspectives we haven't even imagined yet.
After all, diversity is one of nature's greatest strengths.
Perhaps that's the real gift of looking backward.
Not to recreate what was, but to recognize what has always been growing.
The past provides the patterns. The present offers the feedback. The future invites us to design.
And isn't that just exactly perfect?
With gratitude,
Todd Breitenstein
The Grateful Gardener
South Shore Permaculture
Curious about our 2027 Permaculture Design Course? Stay connected as we share what's taking shape for the coming season. And if you're a past student, we'd love to hear what your permaculture journey has taught you since graduation. Send us a note or post a comment below.
