Harvest

With Permacuture, there really is no beginning nor an end, so starting with the Harvest is as good as anyplace.

When it's time to "shop" the garden, though, it's not just that simple.  For the most part, or as a general rule, when a person goes out to the garden, they should expect several things.

One of which is that there will be weeding.  Another is that there will be food!  Thirdly, there will likely be garbage.  Not lastly, there will be rocks.  All these have different ultimate destinations.  In a Permaculture paradigm, everything has a job, a place, and can be useful for something. 

Anytime a person goes out to the garden for any length of time (an hour is a good base minimum), they should start to realize several key observations:

• 4 buckets or containers are optimal.  One which we keep out there all the time is useful for garbage bits, another for weeds is a good idea to bring with you, one for rocks could be left out there if it has holes in the bottom, and a harvest container.
  
• Tools of choice.  A pair of snippers, gloves, a weeder of some sort, and a stool or kneeler is nice.  Please remember, gardening tools are costly.  The good ones can be $20-$40 and are highly coveted.  When you leave the garden, even if it is just to get a snack "and come right back", prepare to be distracted and put your tools away! 
  
• Possibly some water, and maybe a way to measure time.  At the back of the greenhouse there is now a water filter.  Wopila Yuha!      
  

An efficient use of time is to plan an hour's worth of contribution when you go out to "harvest", because you should spend over half that time weeding.  When you come out to the garden at other times, to "just work", you should still expect to harvest something (because you will likely find something which needs harvesting, or possibly it will be a delicious casualty of weeding).  If you come out quick to "just pick some greens", you will notice weeds if you are observant.  Upon rare occasions skipping the weeding might be warranted, but it really should be the exception.