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Introduction

The Marda Permaculture Farm (MPF) is a sustainable development NGO in the village of Marda in the West Bank of Palestine. The farm was initiated in 2006. It was recognized as a branch of the Global Village Institute, an international NGO based in Summertown, Tennessee, in the fall of 2008.

The Marda Permaculture Farm is a working farm and a demonstration site for permaculture principles, techniques and strategies. 
 
Permaculture is an ecological design system that draws heavily on indigenous and local wisdom as well as cutting-edge science, to help individuals and communities maximize local resources toward sustainable production, generation and recycling of food, water, energy, housing and other resources.

The Marda Farm was founded by permaculturist Murad Alkhufash, whose family has farmed the region for more than ten generations. The project seeks to promote ecological, cultural and economic resilience in the region by developing a small scale permaculture site to serve as a model and teaching center for local farmers and international permaculture students. Farm staff will also facilitate permaculture design courses in diverse communities across Palestine.

The Marda Permaculture Farm is supported by an extensive network of international and local sustainability visionaries and partners including Geoff Lawton, Director of the Australia Permaculture Institute, Albert Bates, Director of the Global Village Institute in the U.S., Starhawk, Jesse and Tanya Lemieux of Pacific Permaculture in Vancouver, Canada, Julie Firth of Drylands Permaculture Farm in Australia and many others.

We are currently planning a Permaculture Design Course for March 2010 which will include a 3 day immersion course in Arabic, regional culinary courses and historic tours of Marda.

Recently Wael Al Saad joined the MPF team. With his visionary concept of a Global Green Palestine, he is helping to develop the Marda Farm as a model of an alternative, holistic, green, bottom-up economy.